INHUMAN RAMPAGE
by DestinysWinterRose
Summary: Post B/D.Rosalie's desire for a child is becoming overwhelming,the lines of right and wrong becoming hazy.But when she makes the biggest error of her lifetime,will the Volturi be forced to step in?Can Emmett's love be enough to save her from disgrace? R
1. Inhuman Rampage

A/N: Hellooooo!

Welcome to Inhuman Rampage, where the characters of the Twilight series rampage… well, inhumanly! Reviews are not essential, I write because I enjoy it and have way to much fun mucking with their imaginary lives, but I do always appreciate hearing your thoughts, ideas, loves, hates, so feel free to leave one or two, or a million… Thank you please! Anyway, I do hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER- Sucks to be me as I do not own Twilight, or the characters. But it rocks to be me as I get to write this story! Yey!

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**Inhuman Rampage**

Rosalie stood leaning over the balcony, her golden hair flying in the breeze, just imagining how easy it would be to die if she jumped ... if she were still human. Her lips quivered as she wanted to cry, to scream out for help, for love, for death, for kindness. She placed her cold hands on the glass wall between her and the ground below, it almost shivered at her touch. She took in one long breath, closing her eyes and lifting her unbelievably beautiful head up to the night. In one swift movement she stood perfectly balanced atop the glass balcony. Her arms reached out as though she wanted to fly, but she didn't. For once she wanted to fall and not land smoothly. She closed her eyes tighter allowing herself to see the fading memories of her wonderful life, as they blurred day in to day, light fading to dark. Swallowing hard she opened her eyes and let her body talk; she felt the arches in her feet loose grip on the glass balcony.

"Babe?" Quickly regaining her balance she turned to see her only reason for existence, Emmett Cullen. His arms were folded loosely across his chest, his head tilted to look up at her as he rested his weight against the glass kitchen door.

'_What a lucky door'_, she thought to herself briefly, and the frown upon her beautiful features melted into nothing, into remorse she could only feel on the inside. She took in another deep breath giving her enough time to think of an explanation for her ... trapeze practice? Yes that would do.

"Emmett, I ..." He didn't let her finish before he was pulling her down into his lap, while he perched on the balcony she had been standing on. She turned her head away from his to gaze at the nothingness over his shoulder. Maybe he couldn't see into her thoughts if she didn't look him in the eyes. Unfortunately, he knew her well enough that without her having to say anything, he would know by simply looking at her.

"I know what you were doing, so don't give me bull, Rose." Trying his hardest not to let his childish side show through, he sighed as that half quirky smile forced itself on to his face. He searched for her eyes, lifting one hand to brush away a golden strand from her face. She let out a little '_huh'_ before pursing her lips tightly together, intent on staring at the tree standing magnificently behind them.

"Gunna talk to me? Edward said that I ..." she threw him a look of anger for mentioning their brother's name. As irrational as she knew that was.

"Don't Emmett, please. I don't want to hear it. I know he knows what I was thinking and he should stay out of my head. Now more than ever." She dragged her ice cold body off Emmett's lap, resting her elbows on the balcony and placing her chin into her hands. He let her go, knowing full well it wouldn't be worth fighting against her. He sighed, turning his gaze away from Rosalie, which was something he always struggled to do, and to the wooden floor beneath them. They were silent for what seemed a lifetime, wondering who was going to bring it up first today.

"… We've been over it so many times Rose." He paused to see if she was listening, tilting his head subtly to look at her. She was. Her eyebrows had pulled together and her teeth gritted tight. It hurt her more than a thousand knives ever could ... would have. He watched patiently as she moved one perfectly sculpted hand across her chest, trying to wipe away the crushing pain that she felt. He quickly returned his gaze to the floor, unable to stand seeing her in pain. All the while knowing that he couldn't give her everything she wanted. No matter how much he wanted to. Pulling his bottom lip over his top, he mused over which path to take the conversation this time. But she didn't give him time to think before she began saying the words that secretly destroyed them both.

"What is the point? We've seen so many times how life repeats itself pointlessly over and over again while we are stuck wondering, frozen in time and dreaming of the past. But what for, Emmett? We live in vain of everything. Of everything _I_ ever wanted. Time makes it easier ... sometimes, but it never heals me -"She stopped talking abruptly as her eyes fluttered shut, hating that with every word she spoke she knew she was hurting him a little more.

Picking up on her hard to miss anguish, he shifted his weight, turning to face over the balcony alongside her. Lifting his hand to her face, he ran one finger lightly over her cheek.

"Don't you think I know that? I hate that I can't give you everything. Particularly the one thing you want the most. I want it too, you know? I want everything for you because you deserve the best. I love you, and ..." A smile began to tug at the corner of her lips, stopping him in his tracks.

Those were the words she loved to hear; to know that he loved her and wanted her even now, after all this time. It took her a moment to notice he had stopped talking. Turning to face him, she saw embarrassment circling in his eyes. He was never one for laying his feelings out for all to see. Just that he was trying to now, aware they could probably hear the conversation inside, forced her remember that she had everything already. Everything she _should_ want was in him. Yet she still yearned for more.

"I'm sorry. That's just how I feel Em." She hung her head, waiting for him to pull it together. He did know that, it's the only thing he was ever certain she was feeling.

"I want to give you a child Rosalie, but I can't. How d'ya think that makes me feel? Every time you talk like this I fell a little more worthless. Maybe I'm the joker and a big kid ... but it doesn't stop me wanting a family with you. Playing the joker is what gets me by and I'm getting tired of comforting you about this. Tired of it always being about the same damn thing." That surprised them, both unsure who was more shocked by the outburst. Emmett hung his head, crossing his hands in front of him as they rested on the balcony. Did he mean that? He was getting tired of this same conversation about children, about their future. Or was he just getting tired of her? No, that wasn't it. There was no-one more perfect than her, no-one more perfect for _him_ than her ... no-one in the freaking universe was more incredible than the woman standing next to him now.

"I didn't mean that angel." He looked for her reaction, an unsure grin on his face, but she didn't move.

"I want a child Emmett," she whispered in a changed tone of voice. Suddenly, Emmett saw something that he had never seen in her, something that scared him. Looking into her eyes he saw a wild, savage beast that was desperate to be let free. It clawed at her pupils and her golden iris's as it screamed for freedom. Gritting her teeth together, she too knew what he saw. He saw who she _could_ be.

Feeling somewhat uneasy, a feeling Emmett was rarely used to, he straightened himself up as he called for Edward in his thoughts, hoping that he would be listening in. After all, it was thanks to Edward that he knew she was out here feeling sorry for herself. If Edward was still listening in, he could summon Carlisle's help. This wasn't her; something in the air had changed. This was not his angel talking. Yeah she was feisty, she could be a bitch, maybe even a little shallow, but she was also so much more than that ... and he knew for certain that she was not a monster.

"Rose, if there was an option for us to have a child I would take it. I would give it you in a heartbeat if our hearts could beat. We have thought of everything and our ideas are exhausted." He began to relax a little, hoping to talk her back to reason as he began wondering if he should tell her the one option he had not yet let her be part of.

"But why, Emmett, tell me why Bella and Edward can have it all?" She spat their names out like it was the venom that stewed in their veins. He couldn't answer that and simply mused over how stunning her eyes looked in the moonlight. Letting her carry on, letting her get it out of her system until the next time. Better that way, easier that way.

"They broke the rules, but still they get to have it all." Her anger turned to sorrow. How he loved her passion, well usually anyway. But tonight it was giving him whiplash.

"Yeah, but look at the cost. Bella's life..." Instantly knowing that was the wrong thing to say, he turned to see if Edward was in the kitchen yet. Seeing he wasn't, he winced a little, and turned back to face his wife. Rosalie laughed a bitter laugh,

"She wanted this excuse for a life. It was her idiotic choice, she chose wrong and you know it. But still she has a perfect child. What I would give to have even the smallest part of her as my own." Alarm bells began to chime in Emmett's head again. He had always seen how Rosalie looked at Renesmee and it didn't worry him ... too often. But there was always this edge of uncertainty, a niggling doubt in the back of his mind. Was she going to run off with her? Would she risk fighting every Cullen member just to take Nessie for her own? As much as he didn't want to think she was capable of that, he knew that in desperation... she would be capable of trying.

Rosalie's tone lowered, aired in darkness as she spoke, "I ... will do ... almost anything for a child now Emmett. I'm reaching the end of patience. Everyone else is quite happy and content, but not me. Not us."

He turned to see that she was facing him, her face well controlled, her posture perfect and motionless. He shifted his weight once more, contemplating exactly what she meant by that. A half smile crept its way in and his brow furrowed in concern, unsure how to answer.

"What?" he joked, "Are you just gunna grab someone's kid and bite them?"A laugh escaped his lips, knowing how ridiculous that thought was.

"If it comes to it, then ... Who knows?" Her voice didn't quiver once, and it was in that moment they both knew she would be able to go against all she believed about this life, if it meant she could have a child to call her own. She glided slowly over to her frozen lover, ran her hands through his hair and kissed his lips gently. Although she felt that he didn't kiss her back this time, she still smiled a sweet, loving smile as her eyes traced the lines of his perfectly masculine lips.

"I have done nothing but _want,_ and we have only ever looked at the '_good'_ ways for us to be parents. What if there is another way, a way we haven't yet thought of? Carlisle wouldn't approve of course, but we could be happy." She smiled a hopeful smile as her dreams lay waiting in his arms.

He gazed back into her golden eyes, wanting so much to be the one to make those dreams come true. He sighed heavily, knowing that was never going to happen. Maybe she really had lost the plot this time? "No Rosalie."

Her expression dropped. No? _NO_, was not a word she was accustomed to hearing from her man.

"I mean it babe. There has to be another way. We're not going stealing kids and making them like us. You said yourself this is no life. Come on, stop talking crazy. I mean it." He held out his hand to her, wanting to draw her into his sculpted chest. If anyone could make her see sense, it was certainly him.

But she made it clear she ignored his last comments, his hand to, and simply said, "I love you my monkey man."

And with that she was gone, leaving him standing out in the night air alone. Dazed.

This was crazy. In the last five minutes Rosalie turned from someone he knew everything about to someone he could barely recognise. The last of the air he had held in his lungs escaped his lips, desperate to get away.

"Ah ... man," he mumbled to himself. Was she seriously going to risk everything for this? No-one knew more than he did how desperate she was. As he stood, leaning over the balcony once again, he knew that he could never support her taking a kid from anyone, no matter how much he loved her. Plus the others would never forgive them, that is, if they didn't stop her first. Lost in thought he ran one hand through his dark hair. There would be no other option, he would have to tell her that if she really was going to do that then ... she would lose him too, that surely would stop her, right? A rush of despair waved over him, he never wanted to be without his own angel, his one piece of heaven. That was more heartache than he would ever be able to handle. But ... would it be worth her taking him seriously instead of a threat and killing a kid anyway and losing each other? Still in the midst of confusion he shook his head, standing bolt upright. Why worry, Carlisle would not let it come to that. As he made his way back into the house, he heard Rosalie's silky laugh flood the house.

"Alice, stop it!" she giggled, sounding totally carefree. But what he didn't know was that she was far from carefree. There was unrest in the pit of her stomach, writhing and swirling. She was deadly serious about getting a child, any way she could, with or without consequences. And soon.


	2. Hunt

**The Hunt**

'_Perfect. She could get out without them hearing her. If ever there was the right time to hunt for her baby, then this was it.'_

She knew she would miss him, whenever he went without her that was inevitable. Her arms folded across her stomach as she leaned against the entrance to their bedroom. She tilted her head, watching him with adoration as he whirled around their enormous closet in a desperate search for his hunting sneakers.

"Damn it, where are they? You'd think with senses like these ...' He paused to dodge one of her sharp heeled shoes that fell from one of the boxes above him, "... I'd be capable of finding a freaking pair of runners."

He mumbled away to himself, forgetting momentarily that his wife stood examining his every move for her own amusement. She let out a laugh, too quiet for a human ear, before pursing her lips tightly together in a weak attempt to hold it in. She looked to the ground sheepishly as she heard him stumble, oddly with grace, to a halt. Turning sharply towards her he dropped both arms to his sides, ran his tongue over his bottom lip as a cheeky smile spread across his face, and leapt over to her with a single bound. Another unstoppable laugh escaped her lips, this time against his as he kissed her with such passion that he was only reinforcing her desire for him to stay. His hips moved towards hers until he felt her body press up against the door frame. She sighed as she ran her fingers over the perfect, huge muscles that formulated his arms. His lips traced down her neck as she ran her nails up the middle of his back. He snarled playfully in her ear, forcing her to laugh once more. He kissed her again, with more urgency this time.

"Damn you're sexy," he whispered into her ear, his arms locking around her waist. He chuckled his sexy, deep chuckle as her hands found themselves intertwining in his hair.

"I know." She winked. Forcing herself to break away from his kiss she took his head between her hands, gazing up into his playful eyes. Noticing the hint of desire burning in them, she bit her lip, desperate to resist him this time.

"Baby?" she cleared her throat, making sure to savour every moment of this before continuing, "you know your runners are right there, don't you?"

She tried hard to control herself as she nodded her head in the direction of the closet. Confused, his eyes followed hers to the closet, and sure enough, they sat only two inches from where he had been rummaging, helpfully just outside the closet. Letting out a '_huff'_ sound, he shook his head before kissing the top of hers, running his hands down the perfect shape of her body and darting over to them. She sighed, heavier this time as she realised that he now had the means to leave. He slowed down his usual pace for shoelace-tying in order to look back at her.

"I won't be long angel. Just ... promise me no more insane moments. Okay?" He smiled, but she knew instantly that he was being as serious as he could be. Her eyes flittered from the floor to him, him to the window, and then back to his shoes. She wanted so much to promise him that she wouldn't lose her temper again, march over to the first child she saw and ... do what? ... maul at it? But that was not a promise she desired to keep. Sensing her hesitation to answer, he wondered if he was doing the right thing, leaving her alone. The next twenty-four hours while he, Jasper, Edward and Carlisle hunted would be plenty of time for her to do something erratically stupid. She would be with the girls, but Bella would be busy with Renesmee, Alice planning a celebration for Esme's birthday (which was still a month away), and Esme ... well she would make herself busy no doubt. Quickening his pace he finished tying his laces and rubbed his hands across his eyes in frustration.

"Please don't do this babe. I can see straight through any empty lies you're planning on telling me. So let's not, alright?" At least, he thought he could see through them. After all these years together he had finally begun to believe that he knew her. Slowly, she lifted her sad eyes to meet his, putting on her bravest face.

"Alright, I will be sane." She tried to smile, but failed miserably. In one bound he was at her side. He held her gaze for one long moment, kissed her on the cheek, and was gone. Listening to the commotion downstairs, she heard Renesmee squeal in excitement, or was it shock. She darted towards the source of the sound, only to see that Emmett had thrown Renesmee over his shoulder and was spinning as fast as he could in circles.

"NO, Emmett!" Renesmee shrieked amidst bursts of laughter. "Put me down, not again, please!" Bella, Alice and Esme stood by the kitchen laughing at the comedy show playing before them. To her right Carlisle stood watching indulgently while Edward and Jasper stood looking a little unimpressed at having to wait even longer for their dinner. Rosalie relaxed instantly as she recalled the events of yesterday. Renesmee had been taunting Emmett for the majority of the afternoon about her victory against him at chess, only for him to discover she had cheated with Edwards help. He wasn't a great loser at the best of times, so he had easily managed to catch her, carry her all the way to the river (despite her best efforts of escape) and throw her in, clothes and all. The most amusing moment for Rosalie had been watching Emmett try to peal Renesmee off his body in order to dunk her in the water, once she realised that was where she was headed. Unexpectedly, Rosalie chuckled out loud to herself. They all turned to face her, surprised to see her out of her room, or perhaps they were unsure of the meaning behind her giggle.

"What?" She smiled, not waiting for an answer before turning hastily and darting back up the stairs to her room. As she heard the boys leave, she listened closely. Esme began humming as she returned to the garden to tend her flowers. She could hear Bella rustling through the kitchen, most likely preparing something revolting for Renesmee to eat. She couldn't hear Alice, but knowing her well enough she guessed she would be drawing up some plans for the coming month. Returning to her thoughts in the safety of her room, she recalled how difficult, almost unbearable the last week had been. Thanks to Edward, they all now officially believed that she was going crazy.

"_Not just crazy, she's going completely loopy. It's worrying._" She recalled overhearing Emmett's conversation with Edward. Emmett hadn't left her side for more than ten minutes the whole week since her 'trapeze' stunt. It wasn't that she didn't love the attention; just that they both knew precisely why he refused to leave her alone. She'd had no time alone to think of a way to obtain a child. Emmett had been making sure to keep her well and truly ... 'distracted'. She chuckled at the passionate memories as she ran one delicate finger over her pink lips. But it wasn't long before she snapped out of the pleasant memories, unable to stop her train of thought, as the memory of Emmett's words flooded back. Changing from everything she wanted to hear, to everything she didn't. He had made it perfectly, no, crystal clear that he wasn't going to support her, not this way. Rosalie exhaled hastily; maybe he would change his mind when he saw her standing with a child in her arms. A child they could finally call their own.

Hours passed and the day faded magnificently into night. The stars shone in all their glory as the house finally fell silent. Renesmee had gone to bed, but not before sneaking in to check her Aunt was not bouncing off padded walls. Rosalie swiftly pulled herself up and off the bed, her golden hair following in a wave of silk behind her, before resting once more against her back. She paused to listen intently to her family. Alice, Bella and Esme were chatting away on the back balcony. Perfect. She could get out without them hearing her. If ever there was the right time to hunt for her baby, then this was it. Moving nimbly through the house, she made her escape.

It seemed only minutes until she was standing atop a mountain looking out over Forks. Where would she begin her search? The nurseries, the parks, the hospital? They all had their drawbacks, but nothing was going to stop her now. It wasn't like she wouldn't be able to get in and out without being seen, just, it would take a little more time to find the _perfect_ child. He had to have dark hair with equally dark eyes, at least until she changed him. She imagined his skin to be smoother than hers, if such a thing was possible, but with a hint of colour in his cheeks where the perfect dimples would rest. Closing her eyes, she ran her fingers through her hair, taking in the every scent the night had to offer. But then she remembered Emmett. Was she really going to betray him this way, throw it all away? What was the point of this existence without him in it? But she couldn't push aside the greedy need to be a mother, he would forgive her, he always did. Suddenly, her eyes flew open. A new scent filled the air. She breathed in the sweet smell of human blood. Through the silence she could hear them calling out.

'_Idiots!'_ she thought. Why draw attention to yourselves out here? Her eyes narrowed as she turned and crouched in her position of attack. She waited as they came into view, clumsily climbing their way over the huge rocks of the cliff face. She scoffed in disgust, too silently for them to hear. As she watched the male look up, he smiled as he noticed her. But then, who wouldn't?

"Hey. Hey, lady," he called out, desperately trying to get her attention, oblivious to the fact that he already had it. He paused, turning away to help pull the smaller, dark haired female to his side. Seizing her moment she ran towards them, halting as she reached the rock directly above the one they now balanced on. Her eyes narrowed, how easy this would be. There was no need to spill their blood it was not worth taking _that_ chance, she would kill them another way. The male turned back to her, jumping in surprise at how fast she had gotten to them.

"Wow, what? How'd you get here so quick?" He shook his head, taking the female's hand. "You know what, never mind. We got lost hiking, do you live up here? Can we use your phone?"

She didn't answer. It would be easy, she'd done it before. She spent a moment convincing herself that if she could kill them, then she could turn a child. It seemed a logical leap in her mind. She winced, as the memory of Emmett covered in blood flooded back to her, remembering how she didn't have the strength to turn him herself. But that had been so long ago, she had less control when she had found him. This was different, and her vampiric instincts were much easier to control now.

ENOUGH!

Edward would be watching her thoughts, Alice would see, she had to do it now before any of them could reach her. Before Emmett could stop her. The humans shifted uncomfortably, moving closer to each other.

"Can you help us?"

She looked down on the little humans, her eyes narrowing.

"Sure." Reaching out her hand for the male, he lifted his hand to her. But there was no time for him to react as she seized him by the throat, lifting him up until his face was level with hers. "But it might not be the help you wanted."

He looked at her unfathomable expression, fighting pointlessly against her hold on him. It was then that a small smile quirked her lips. Losing her amusement at his attempts to escape, she freed him, launching him high into the air. He cried out as he began to fall, and that for Rosalie made it even more entertaining. Her eyes darted to the woman, watching her as she shook in fear, screaming out for her partner. As she turned in horror to see him fall, Rosalie noticed the small bundle tied to her back. She froze, her expression drained from her face. The last of the air in her lungs escaped, a feeling of remorse washing through her. She had never intended to see the parents of the child she was going to take. She was not completely savage, and it almost prevented her from this inhuman rampage. But she was so close, what was the point in stopping now? It was even more perfect than having to raid the town; the child was here. Fate? Maybe. Her eyes widened in greed, in desire, in need. The quivering woman turned to her, stepping backwards as she took in Rosalie's expression. As she stepped, she had not realised how close to the edge of the rock she was. If it had been any other human ... or thing ... standing before her, she would have fallen to her death. But Rosalie snatched her out of the air, and as she did she ran to the top of the mountain, stopping only once she had reached the open space at the summit. The woman was trying to scream but terror prevented any sound leaving her lips. Placing the woman face down against the dry grass, she straddled her. As one arm kept the woman in her place, the other ripped away the bundle from her back. Suddenly nervous, she released the woman's arm, freeing her hand to unwrap the child from its cotton bed. Gasping at the innocent beauty before her, she smiled once more. But this was different, loving and soft. There was a mop of soft, dark-brown hair, and it blew in the breeze.

"Rosalie!" Emmett roared out her name. Startled by the sound of his voice, she turned to find him but he wasn't there. She listened carefully. She could hear the reverberations of three ... no, four, pairs of feet heading towards her and fast. Clutching the child closer to her chest she waited, there would be no point in running from them. Edward flew out from the trees at the edge of the clearing, halting as he took in the sight before him. And there he was; her monkey man. He came closer than Edward, wanting to be the one to get to her first. If anyone could, then he would have the better chance at reasoning with her. Jasper and Carlisle followed closely behind, stopping at Edward's flanks. No-one spoke. Rosalie's eyes flitted from each of them in turn, unsure who would make the first move.

"Rosalie," Emmett gasped, even without the need for him to breathe. "Give me the child."


	3. A rose by any other name

_A/N: One use of profanity in this chapter, just a heads up. The song below helped with this chapter, I think it describes Rosalie's feels pretty well… I hope you continue to enjoy reading!_

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**A Rose By Any Other Name**

"_Broken inside, no place to go,_

_A feeling she hides, her dreams she can't find,_

_She's losing her mind, she's fallen behind,_

_She can't find her place, she's losing her faith,_

_She's fallen from grace; she's all over the place." _

– _Avril Lavigne._

"Rosalie please, just think about what you're doing," Carlisle spoke softly, but with an edge of desperation in his tone. "That baby has a mother and a father, don't be the one to take that away from it." His gaze fell upon the human woman beneath Rosalie, quickly assessing her condition. "Let her go, now." He tried again with more authority in his tone this time. Rosalie held her ground, finally holding the one thing that she wanted to live for in her arms. As she looked to him, he could see the annoyance dominating her usually soft features. "You're risking us all Rosalie."

"No Carlisle," she growled at him defensively, "this has NOTHING to do with you. It's between Emmett and I." As she spoke, she carefully surveyed their positions. Edward and Jasper posed little threat as they stood uncomfortable behind Emmett. _Emmett _... She allowed her gaze to fall upon his face, worry taking hold as she wondered what was going through his mind. In a gentle plea, she whispered for his ears only, "This is our chance."

Emmett searched deep into her almost black eyes, wondering if she was in there at all. This was not her; this could not be his angel. Rosalie was crouched down, one arm around the baby as the other quickly moved to hold the terrified woman to the ground again.

'_Despite this being an act of insanity',_ he thought to himself, _'she looks so calm… content.'_

Without warning the child began to cry, and against all Rosalie's vampiric instincts of defence, she turned her attention away from them and to the crying baby. Unwillingly, Emmett saw his moment and adopted a position that meant if he had to ... if he _really_ had to ... he could attack. He damn well knew that if the vampire before him had been any other than Rosalie, he would have enjoyed taking her down by now; torn her apart and burned the pieces. Hearing her child's cry, the woman between Rosalie's thighs began to squirm in a futile attempt to escape; a mother's natural instinct to protect is one of nature's most powerful forces, yet rendered useless against a creature such as Rosalie.

Carlisle studied the situation carefully from a distance, his eye alone was trained to spot the tidal wave of panic that was about to hit Rosalie. As much as she believed she could be a mother, he knew that instinctively, you would hand back a crying child. Emmett inhaled nosily as he watched Rosalie attempt to calm the whimpering baby, all of them aware that the baby's distress was due to her cold, hard skin, but not that alone. As much as he wanted to strangle her for what she was doing, Emmett began to feel her pain. To understand it as he observed her so desperately trying to care for the one thing he couldn't give her. It was in this moment that he truly, no, finally understood what it was they had been missing all this time. His heart began to ache as he envisioned a knife plunging through his chest, tearing apart all that he was and draining his reason for existence. Swallowing hard, he forced his gaze away from Rosalie and back to the seriousness and reality of the situation he was now forced to be part of. Smelling the pure scent of her blood, his almost black eyes focused upon the human beneath Rosalie; her mouth had opened to scream but no sound reached out in her aid. Anger and thirst quickly overcame him.

"Carlisle ..." Edward warned quickly, having reluctantly heard Emmett's thoughts. Immediately picking up the concern in his voice, Carlisle broke away from Edward's flank and positioned himself beside Emmett.

"Emmett, calm down." He reached out his left arm just in front of Emmet's chest; not only to calm him but also to prevent him from hurtling towards Rosalie and the human. Firmly pressing his palm against Emmett's chest he spoke in a steady tone, "Remember who you are and why we are here."

There was an intense moment of anxious silence while Emmett attempted to control his thirst. Having to cut their hunting trip short because of this was not doing him any good. His fists clenched tightly into balls as he nodded to Carlisle, thanking him. He tore his eyes away from the woman and back to Rosalie, he wanted to help her but he barely had enough control to deal with his thirst, anger and not to mention the betrayal that was stewing inside him. Refusing to allow himself to breathe, knowing it would only fill him with more desire to kill, he tried to focus on Rosalie. She was watching them all carefully; aware that she was causing Emmett to nearly lose himself.

"Babe, come on." Finally he calmed himself enough to be able to offer his assistance to Carlisle. Rosalie glared at them, almost a look that could kill, as Carlisle reached out his free arm towards the human.

"I am asking you once more Rosalie. Let her go." As Carlisle locked eyes with Rosalie, she challenged him to see how far she could push this. "This is not the right way. We _will _find another option for you ... and Emmett."

He sounded so definite, so sure. If only she could believe him. Uncertain if she was frustrated or distraught, her hand currently restraining the woman began to tremble. She quickly realised that in the midst of her embarrassing teenage style tantrum, he really was right. But she was damned if she was going to admit it. As a wave of calm suddenly overcame her, Jasper smiled to himself, finally glad to be of some use. Pulling away from Carlisle's insistent gaze, she looked down to the human. Her unnecessary breathing levelled itself as she saw the horror she was inflicting on this innocent person ... how did she let herself do this? All the hard work to control the animalistic beast within her was coming to nothing. She knew they were right; the woman had done nothing but be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Okay! Fine, she would let her go.

Exhaling hastily with exasperation she gracefully jumped off the woman. Still clinging tightly to the child, who was beginning to calm, she took a few steps back. Letting out a cry of fear and relief, the woman scrambled to her feet and proceeded to run towards Carlisle's outstretched arms, believing him to be her safety net. However, just before she reached Carlisle, she became aware that she was safe but that her child was not. Falling over her feet, she halted and turned back to face Rosalie. Taken by surprise, Rosalie stiffened, as did everybody else. Still unbalanced on her feet and shaking with fear, the woman stumbled a few steps in Rosalie's direction, reaching out for her son. Suddenly defensive again, Rosalie's eyes appeared to darken as she quickly lowered her head, presenting the woman with an inhuman warning to desist in her advances.

"Rosalie," Emmett snarled at her. His deep voice rang in her ears as he began to push against Carlisle's arm. Damn it, he wanted so much to take hold of her and make everything alright again. But he saw the wild desire return to her eyes and enough was almost enough. It happened too fast for the human woman to notice and she continued her advance towards her son. As Rosalie stepped back trying to control herself, Alice exploded out from the trees, whisking the woman up into her arms. Pausing at Carlisle's side, she looked frightened.

"I saw what would have happened," she said in her tinkling voice, but it was laced with revulsion.

"Take her to the house, Alice - calm and comfort her, she will be in shock. Jasper, accompany Alice," Carlisle demanded obviously grateful for her intervention, but his voice sounded graver than usual. Jasper nodded and was at Alice's side in a blink of an eye. With a single glance back to Rosalie and then to Emmet, they were gone.

'_Naive_,' Rosalie thought, '_she's still in the arms of killers_.'

"They are safer than yours Rosalie," Edward responded to her unspoken words, his face stern with disapproval.

"Thank you Edward," Carlisle said in a manner that really meant 'Edward, shut it'.

Relief cleansed Rosalie's monstrous thoughts as the woman went out of sight. Emmett was still staring at her. Why couldn't he have prevented this earlier?

"What the _fuck_ are you thinking?" his teeth locked together as he spat out the words.

"Easy, Emmett," Carlisle attempted to soothe him; as pointless as it seemed right now. Rosalie hesitated before answering, trying to order her scrambled thoughts. What a mess she had made of everything! She glanced to Carlisle, ashamed that he would be privy to this conversation between them. Closing her eyes, she attempted to block out the reality of what she had done. Emmett snarled to get her attention, which worked instantly. Her eyelids flew open again and her black eyes focused solely on him.

"How do you expect me to answer that? I can barely understand it myself! But the thoughts are relentless, Emmett. I couldn't help it, I couldn't resist doing this! I saw an opportunity and ..." Her anguish was evident in every part of her body; the way she stood, the way she tried to smile, the way she spoke, the way she moved ... but mostly the expression fixed on her face. Her dreams were always so close, particularly now, yet still out of reach. Physically she was unbreakable, but emotionally every part of her was steadily breaking down. It would be so much easier to surrender, hold up her hands and just give in. But she had forever to want and to wonder, to fall from grace, to fail her family. Was this really the time? Closing her eyes tightly again, she wished that Emmett could just whisk her away, save her.

"Open your eyes Rosalie!" As much as he meant it literally, it was also intended in a metaphorical sense, "I can't keep seeing you make the same mistakes over again. That is not and will not ever be our child. I ... I can't believe how selfish you're being!" The irritation and hurt he was trying to hide from her escaped, bursting free. With every word he spoke, she hated herself a little more for the weakness she had allowed to consume her. The weakness that she could see would destroy them. She swallowed hard, listening to the honesty in his voice, the words she had never thought he would say to her. But then, he was the only one who could tell her and the only one she would truly listen to.

"This is all I have wanted. All I have _ever_ wanted. Can you honestly tell me that you feel nothing seeing me here before you ... as a mother?" Her voice broke as she said the words she had longed to be associated with; mother.

"NO!" He growled at her, trying desperately to hide the lie. Of course he felt something; pity, shame, sympathy, betrayal, disappointment, anger ... love ... all of which only made him feel worse for her. She was his world and single-mindedly she seemed determined to destroy it. "You're not a mother Rose. You have no idea how much seeing you like this hurts me."

Emmett became aware of Carlisle's presence and instantly felt himself recoil slightly. Their issues had always been private, only between them and kept away from sensitive ears and eyes.

"Babe, please don't do this, just give back the kid and come home." Swallowing his pride, he resorted to begging her. Yelling at her would only make her more resistant. Dropping his defensive stance, he dogged around Carlisle's arm and took a step towards Rosalie. Surprised at his sudden mood swing, she became defensive once more.

"Stay there." She warned him, uncertain of his motives for advancing. Calming himself, he knew that he had to make a decision. He couldn't let her do this. He loved her too much, she was too important to him to watch her throw it all away. With caution, he took a few steps towards her. Staring into her dark eyes, he prayed that she wouldn't run from him. He didn't want to be responsible for having to hunt her down.

"Emmett I mean it, don't come any closer." It hurt her to push him away, but why on earth would he want to hold the child? Seconds ago he was desperately trying to prevent this. He held out his arms to her, that old half smile creeping into his calm expression.

"If we are going to do this ... then can I hold my son?" He gazed into her wild eyes, patiently waiting for her to comprehend what he was asking.

"Emmett ..." Carlisle almost lost his composure, astonished that Emmett seemed to suddenly do a complete three-sixty on him. And he knew this would only encourage Rosalie. For the first time in nearly a decade Rosalie found herself speechless. He had fought her from every angle about this, begged her to see sense and find another way. Shifting uncomfortably where she stood, she tried to give him a warning glare; instead however, it came out as one of fear and confusion.

"How can I trust you? You changed your mind so quickly, I ... I can't." It was easy to see how much she wanted to give him the child, for him to hold it and call it his own. "But ..."

"Babe," he interrupted her, "I love you. I can't let you do this alone. You and me against it all, right?" She smiled, remembering their private motto. Taking an uncertain step backwards, she held out her arms, showing him their baby. If she was to trust anyone, it would certainly be him.

"Emmett!" Carlisle tried to get his attention once again as he stood dumbfound watching them both throw it all away. "There is a _mother_ at our house waiting for her child to be returned to her. I hope you are both proud of yourselves." Unable to help them both any further, he gave in ... something he was not accustomed to doing.

"Carlisle," Edward called him softly. Carlisle turned to him, no longer feeling the need to closely monitor the situation. A pained expression dominated his features, he was defeated but more than that ... he was hurt.

"There is no more I can do for them, they have made their decision." He ran his fingers through his honey-blond hair, before bringing his hand across his face and biting down on his knuckles.

"Wait." Edward's eyes widened slightly. Pausing in confusion, Carlisle turned to face him again. Emmett was only meters from Rosalie now, slowly gaining her trust and confidence again. Rosalie's arms were still outstretched, holding the baby towards him. A smile edged its way on to her beautiful face. He finally saw her, _really_ saw her. This moment was so perfect that it almost caused her heart to beat.

"I love you," her voice was almost a whisper as she took a step towards him. Suddenly, Emmett reached out, plucking the baby from her grasp. Turning on his heels, he launched the baby into the air before immediately turning back to the stunned Rosalie. Knowing that this was going to happen, Edward snatched the baby from the air and without a single look to Rosalie or Emmett, he ran at full speed into the trees and out of sight.

"NOOO! No, no, no, no!" Rosalie screamed out, instantly lunging after him. But Emmett was too quick for her. He pulled her into his body, wrapping his arms around her chest and arms to restrain her. She screamed in agony as she stared into the empty forest, eyes wide in horror. But there was nothing she could do. It was too late, the baby was gone.

"Rosalie, stop!" Emmett growled, raising his voice in an attempt to be heard over her agonising torment. His lips pressed tightly together as he tried so hard to keep his own pain at bay.

"How could you? How could you do this?" She kicked at him, unable to fight him any other way. Her heart shattered as she cried out for the child. She was once again a childless mother. Feeling her begin to surrender, Emmett fell with her to the ground, still holding her in his firm grasp. As their knees hit the floor, she cried out once more, deafening to anyone within a three mile radius.

"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" She lifted her head, but refused to meet anyone's gaze. Carlisle was frozen in his place, silently praising Emmett for his bravery; his bravery to fool his own wife. He had tricked her and he knew it, tricked her in the cruellest way he ever possibly could have. Carlisle stood, watching his daughter's heart break. How he felt for her, how he wished he had never brought her into this life; was this really any better than the human suffering that would have led to her death. Together, they had torn away her one hope of true happiness. Anguish formed into his features and slowly, knowing that they should be alone now, he left them.

Rosalie continued to scream until she could manage it no more. In silence Emmett held her, no longer to restrain her, but to comfort her instead. Every part of him ached in hatred of himself. Eventually, feeling her energy drain, he steadily released her and brought himself to his feet. Rosalie didn't move. For what seemed an endless moment he stared at her motionless figure; knelt down and defeated.

"Rosal -" As he began to speak her name, she stood at a pace that was fast even for a vampire, and turned to face him. Her teeth were locked tightly together and her eyes were wild with anger. As he went to reach out a hand to her, she launched at him, striking him with all her might across his cheek. Caught off guard, Emmett stumbled backwards in surprise. Without waiting for a chance for him to realise what she had done she flew at him, beating him with all she had left. Managing to pull himself to his feet, he let her attack. He knew that she didn't want to hurt him, well not to the point of death, but he was the only one she knew she could lash out at. The only one who would still love her afterwards. Wrapping her delicate fingers around his throat, her eyes almost burned holes through him. They were wild and uncontrollable, but he had no right to retaliate. She had been in the wrong, that was certain, but it had been opportunistic, a classic case of wrong place at the wrong time. Emmett's betrayal however, had been calculated, cold. As his perfect skin began to crack, Rosalie released him, taking a step back, her expression contorting into one of despair.

"How could you?" She asked, almost too weak to form the words. Straightening himself out in case of another attack, he studied her for a moment, wondering if he could talk freely to her.

"You left me no other option Rose," his tone was deep, almost regretful. "You know this wasn't going to end any differently."He sighed, pressing his palms to his temples.

"I. Hate. You." Her head was lowered, allowing him only to see her black eyes. Letting his arms fall to his sides, he shook his head before tilting it slightly to look directly at her.

"No, you don't." He challenged her, knowing they could get through this. Even if no-one else did, he still had faith in her. Rosalie's features softened as her body relaxed.

"I wish I could." Her eyes closed slowly, misery almost drowning her.

"Babe, let's go back. It'll be fine. They won't hate you for this. We've all made mistakes." He titled his head again as he waited hopefully for a response.

"No, I can't go back to ... I won't face them." She shook her head, picturing the atrocious welcome that would be waiting for her.

"Then we go." His tone lifted, knowing everything wasn't destroyed. He still had her. They would talk about this, but now was not the time; it was too raw for a reasonable conversation. Her body rendered itself useless and she could only pull a tiny, fake smile in agreement. Without hesitation, he sprinted to her, gathered her into his arms and ran.


	4. Life's but a walking shadow

_Chapter song you may be interested in listening to for this chapter: 'Iris' by the Goo Goo dolls_

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

Life's but a walking shadow

Her mind whirled, lost in web of confusion and disorientation as she tried so desperately to grasp onto the events of the last few hours, to what she had allowed herself to do. The forest blurred past her, streaming all different shades of browns and greens, but her eyes focused upon nothing. She was aware of Emmett's firm grasp around her; one strong arm across her back as the other supported her weak, shaking legs. Unable to support her own weight, she continued to allow him to carry her. She knew he was here, but it was almost as though she didn't see him. Like they were simply unimportant shadows passing though yet another sleepless night. Rosalie's usually perfectly tended hair fell over her shoulders, playing with the breeze as the golden strands knotted themselves in a mischievous manner. To look at her now, you would not see her usual charming and chivalrous nature; they were lost to the night. Instead, you would only see fear and self-loathing.

Almost oblivious to the emotional weight he was now carrying for the both of them; Emmett quickened his pace, now as desperate as she was to escape this world of torment. As he ran, he drew her closer into his chest with a renewed urgency and need to be with her. In his own way, he was trying to show her that she was not, and never would be, alone. He could protect and love her, and always would. Intrigued by the unnerving silence, Emmett drew his narrowed eyes away from their erratic course to study her exquisite, beautiful face; and for a single moment he forgot why it was they were running. But as he took in her dark, pained eyes, her quivering lips and furrowed brow, he was quickly reminded. An all too familiar ache pressed against his cold, un-beating heart. As her emotional struggle, the battle within her mind spilled into her features, he turned his attention back to their journey. It was too hard to see her crumble before him, all the while knowing there was little he could do to prevent it. Emmett suddenly sprang to the left, only just avoiding the meter wide oak tree they were about to collide with. Usually, such a cock-up as smashing into a tree would have amused him, but now it only angered him to almost make such a petty mistake. His mind raced along with hers, and he wondered if she would ever give him an _honest_ answer for why she had done this. But he knew that would be like asking his blood to run and his heart to beat; she would need time, a day, a week, a month, a year, maybe even eternity and somehow ... that was okay. Regaining his composure, he proceeded towards their uncharted destination.

As they emerged from the cover of the dark forest, Emmett's pace slowed to a walk; and even that was quicker than a human could dream of running. He breathed in deeply, his chest unintentionally disturbing Rosalie's head from where it had settled against his shoulder, and he drew to a halt. As he began to debate the best course of action, he pressed his lips gently to the tip of Rosalie's head. To his surprise, he felt her react to his kiss by gingerly extending her slender neck in order to meet his touch; the movement so slight that he almost missed it. A wave of relief raged through him as he realised that somewhere, amongst this battle of wills, she was still with him.

With a new found confidence in her, he bent down allowing her dusty-rose Armani boots to touch the silver sands beneath them. He hesitated for half a moment, making sure that she had built up enough strength to stand alone, before tearing himself away from her. Taking a definite step backwards, his eyes remained fixed upon her face. She allowed him to see no expression, no hint of her feelings as she began to piece herself together. Remaining motionless, she filled her lungs with the scents around them. There was a fading smell of earthy moss being masked by the salty smell of the clean ocean air, entwined with a hint of fish ... Fish? This place was familiar. Her eyes gazed over the ocean and out into the never ending horizon, before meticulously scanning across the grainy sand-dunes. Her eyes traced up and over the ancient cliff face's before scanning the tree covered mountains just behind them. Neah Bay was a small fishing town north of forks, holding a population of around only nine hundred citizens. Due to the small population and vast forest cover, Rosalie and Emmett often had enjoyed romantic evenings here, while taking in the breathtaking sunrises and sunsets that waltzed across the lagoon-blue sea. But, over the last few years, it was the one place they could talk freely, away from ever present sensitive ears and eyes. It was where they had come to talk about their pasts, but more recently, where they discussed Rosalie's aversion to Bella. He had thought this trough better than Rosalie could have expected from him ... but bringing her here now, talking about this would not banish this embarrassment, resentment and burning desire for a child that remained beneath the surface.

Emmett's tense and taut posture relaxed, his fists unclenching as he began to once again recognise the angelic qualities that shone from his wife. But he was too eager, it was too soon. As quickly as his confidence in her had grown, it faded. Like someone had switched out the lights without warning. Rosalie let out an agonising cry as her usually sturdy legs collapsed beneath her, forcing her to tumble to the sands. Her long fingers buried themselves into the sand, foolishly trying to grasp on to the tiny grains. They were not going to stop her from falling. Her eyes flew shut as she was forced to once again replay the few precious moments she had spent as a mother; a mother who had watched her child be torn from her arms. The images danced cruelly behind her eyes as if to tease, but still she was attempting to fight them. As her golden hair fell around her neck and merged with the sands, she knew it was over. The battle had been lost, her faith depleted. She was never going to be a mother, and now, she didn't deserve to be. Emmett could only stand helpless, his dull gold eyes centred on her cheeks as if awaiting her tears; everything he wanted to say choked in his throat... and he remained silent. It was all he could do. As Rosalie reached for her chest, feeling it tighten and crush under her self-inflicted torment, Emmett knelt at her side. Sensing his presence and needing him more than ever, she gracefully raised her free arm, lacing it over his neck. Relying upon him solely, her body hung only inches from the ground. As he felt her lean on him, he wrapped his arms around her, as a mother would her baby, pulling her into his lap and soothingly running one hand through her hair. To think they were simply monsters is an inhuman thought in itself; her pain was real and alive.

Emmett shifted her weight in order to take hold of her shaking hand, pulling it away from her face. Rosalie allowed her head to fall gently against his chest, wishing she could leave this pain behind and feel alone the security he could offer her. As he held her she began to wonder if he had decided to hate her or not yet. After what she had done to them all, it would be just punishment. In this moment, Emmett knew exactly what to say to her. No discussion, no regret, just to love her.

"And I'd give up forever to touch you. 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow. You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be. And I don't want to go home right now." Emmett spoke the words with warmth in his rough tone. And upon hearing the lyrics she knew so well, he had done it. He had saved her.

"And all I can taste is your sweetness. And all I can breathe is your life. And sooner or later it's over. I just don't want to miss you tonight." She spoke the words so softly even Emmett could barely hear them. As their eyes connected, they spoke the words from their latest, and most relevant, wedding song in perfect unison.

"And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am."

"I know who you are Rose, I don't want you to forget who you are either." After a seemingly timeless moment, he leaned down to her as their lips collided. Maybe she was a monster, but what she had done was not malicious. It was ... human.

... ... ...

Daylight dawned faster than they had hoped for, and as the sun rose high into the bruised sky, Emmett moved them to the shadows of the trees.

"I am _so_ sorry, Emmett." Rosalie had finally built the courage to apologise to him, something she never did lightly. But now it was more than necessary. She owed him that much.

"Don't sweat it babe." He flashed her his brilliant smile, exposing those dimples she treasured. "Sooo, what now?" There was no need to discuss yesterday any further, what had been done, was done. That much was irreversible, but the situation was still keeping her captive. Rosalie took in a single, long breath before sighing heavily.

"We could ... go to Romania! Seek out Dracula! Freak a few humans? That was a ball last time." Emmett carried on talking, nodding his head in agreement with himself, unaware that he hadn't allowed her enough time to answer. Absentmindedly, he folded his fingers together as they hung over his knees. For the first time in almost twenty-four hours now, she smiled; her dark eyes gleaming in amusement. It was obvious to Rosalie that Emmett's own gag line hadn't escaped him as a rumble of laughter left his lips.

"As much fun as that sounds ... I have some further ass-kissing to do. Carlisle won't forgive me lightly for this. Neither will the others." Her head sunk into her knees as she arched her body away from the tall pine tree by which she was resting. Not wanting her to leap directly back into the quicksand, Emmett shuffled his body closer to hers, spreading his legs around her own as he took hold of her hands.

"They will. If they don't ..." Flexing his burly muscles, his own eyes searched for hers; wanting to keep her focused on the positive. Rosalie retracted her hands, placing them over face before fascination encouraged her to peer over them. She stared at his childish grin for a split second before reaching out to push at his chest playfully.

"Seriously, I have to fix this. That woman ... what did I do to her?" Rosalie shook her head, disappointment etched into her features.

"Carlisle will have figured something out by now. He won't let us be exposed ..." He paused, studying her reaction as she realised that she had caused more damage than just upset a few humans. "Those Volturi freaks are still looking for a fight. Doubt he'll wanna risk them coming back here again."

He was right; she may have put them all at risk if the Volturi had caught wind of this. They had their ways and means of gathering information, and the ever looming threat of their return had never crossed Rosalie's mind.

"We have to go back. Now." Rosalie swiftly stood, pulling Emmett to his feet with her. As she swivelled on her heels in the direction of Forks, Emmett's cheeky grin stopped her in her tracks.

"What?" She mused, confused by yet another private joke he seemed to be enjoying.

"You're sexy when you're getting all decisive." Before she had the chance to respond, he pulled her back into the mould of his body. "Damn sexy."

A tinkling laugh found its way out as she swung back around to face him.

"This is neither the time nor place for your seductive ways Mr. Cullen and frankly, I'm ashamed." Her eyes flashed him a quick seductive gaze before subtly reminding him that they were not out of this yet. As she watched Emmett take off at speed towards Forks, she held her ground momentarily. Maybe her sanity had caught up with her, however, every act has lasting consequences; to which some have more ... devastating effects. Brushing her knotted hair aside and out of her eyes, she hurriedly followed in Emmett's trail, catching up with him before they reached the borders of Forks.

Surely they wouldn't know.


	5. The lady doth protest too much

_The piece of music mentioned a little later on in this chapter is an orchestral piece called Moonlight Serenade, by Glenn Miller which was a piece of popular American music during the late 1930's, early 1940's – worth a listen!_

_There is also one brief use of profanity in this chapter, so be pre-warned._

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

The lady doth protest too much

"I mean it doctor, take him." The woman's arm reached out towards Carlisle, handing him the freshly cleaned bundle of blankets in which her son was wrapped. Carlisle's dark golden eyes searched the ordinary looking woman's face, as he deliberated over whether the woman was concussed ... or just plain crazy.

"Erica, we cannot do that. This is your son." He attempted to reason with her calmly, though part of him knew he should take the baby. "Think this through before you make any rational, permanent decisions."

His eyes darted to Esme, who was standing shell-shocked only inches behind the red-headed woman.

"Erica," Her lilting tone didn't startle the woman, even when she reached out a slender finger, placing it on Erica's shoulder, "What kind of people would we be if we failed to help you? But you must see my husband's predicament. There are legal issues involved here; we simply cannot just take him."

Her eyes, as dark as Carlisle's, flowed down and settled upon the child. He could be no older than six, maybe seven months old ... not much older than her own child had been. As her mind wandered, she flinched slightly, recalling the pain she had felt when she held her dying son for the last time. Thus, she was able to understand Rosalie's desire, and the reason she would forgive her troubled daughter on her return, without question. But, their longing was not the same. Rosalie had never known what it was like to have and to lose a part of yourself; a part that you had created; loved and adored. Rosalie simply never _had_. Blinking back the tears that would never form, she ran her hand over the woman's shoulder in a comforting manner.

"We could take him." She whispered too softly for Erica to hear."We _should _take him." Carlisle lowered his gaze in thought. Yes, they should take him after what she had just told them, but this could be too destructive; to Esme, to Rosalie ... to the Volturi. Jasper sprang to Alice's side, almost forgetting the human presence; they had been used to Charlie seeing them move naturally, but not a confused human woman. Edward nudged the wooden table that he, Bella and Renesmee stood by, catching the vase before it smashed against the floor.

"Nice distraction," Bella muttered to him, aware that if he hadn't drawn the woman's attention away from Jasper, she may have noticed something a little unnatural. Alice was too engrossed in a daze to notice what was going on around her; she could see Emmett and Rosalie making their way back towards the house, and quickly. Looking to Carlisle, she informed him of their imminent arrival.

"How long?" Carlisle quizzed her for further detail, before deciding what action could be taken to cover this up.

"About three minutes." Alice answered hurriedly, glancing towards Erica. Luckily, Esme had her well and truly distracted by taking the child and discussing something about feeding times.

"Right Alice, take Erica and Alyan to Edward and Bella's cottage. Try to keep the noise down. We don't want them to suspect anything is wrong." Alice brought herself to her feet with such grace and poise that Erica smiled, surprised to see Alice display a series of perfectly executed ballet moves while dancing towards them. Before long they were gone, hurriedly making their way to the beautiful stone cottage. Checking the driveway before instructing the others to disperse naturally, Carlisle sunk himself onto the sofa, draping one arm around the young Renesmee as he opened 'Little Women' and began reading chapter VII – Amy's Valley of Humiliation, aloud. The irony of the chapter titled didn't escape him as he pictured Rosalie.

Rosalie drew to a halt at the end of the long, winding driveway that lead to their home. How should she go about this? Just march in and burst out with 'I'm sorry', or play it more casually? Be nice or be defensive? Allow them to see how she felt, or not? Emmett continued a few meters ahead of her before realising he was running alone. Swinging his arms at his sides, he slowed down and casually ran in a crescent half-moon and back towards Rosalie; who currently resembled one of those beautifully crafted stone angels you would find in any graveyard - solid and graceful in appearance, but unnaturally still and sad. His head fell forwards, chuckling in amusement at his thoughts before drawing her up into his arms.

"Babe, let's get this over with." He held her for a spilt moment longer, before placing her back on the ground. He waited patiently as she adjusted herself, gaining her composure and confidence to face them all. She answered him emotionlessly,

"Yes, lets." As she began to stride up the driveway, he took hold of her hand and remained at her side until they reached the large front door, where he manoeuvred himself to be slightly in front of her. If they were going to freak out at her, they would have to get through him first. He heard Rosalie inhale deeply as they made their way into the house, marching her into the living room as though he was delivering a long awaited gift. Feeling her pull back against his hand, he pulled her forwards, placing her in front of him, and in front of the family. Placing his large hands on her hips, he nodded to Carlisle, acknowledging him, but also to indicate that the situation was stable. Bella, Edward and Jasper stood uncomfortably behind the sofa, unsure what to say or do.

"Emmett." Carlisle nodded once to him before his eyes shifted forwards, "Rosalie."

Rosalie twisted her head to shift the defiant strands of hair that masked part of her vision, but also in a manner that showed her discomfort. She licked her lips before pressing them tightly together. She did not look directly at anyone, and only stared at the uninteresting white sofa. Renesmee shuffled, slightly confused by the situation, and Bella, seeing her moment to escape flew towards her.

"I'll, err ... She needs lunch." Taking Renesmee by the hand, she began to make her way towards the kitchen.

"Hi." Renesmee chimed towards her aunt and uncle, trying to struggle free of Bella's grasp on her. Rosalie forced a faint smile, as she felt herself being drawn to her wonderful, auburn-haired niece.

"Hey." She forced out, trying to hide her mixed emotions. The tension in this room could have been cut with a blunt knife, yet still they felt the need to attempt to hide it from their youngest member.

"Alright shortie." Emmett piped up once again, his eyes glistening at the opportunity to tease her.

"Alright monkey." Renesmee answered back excitedly in a high pitched-tone, clearly delighted to have her favourite uncle back. They had seriously spent too much time together if she was picking up on Rosalie's nickname for him. He felt Rosalie's body shake slightly as she chuckled, also picking up on why she had chosen to call him that. As Bella dragged Renesmee out of the room, Emmett nudged Rosalie subtly, encouraging her to get this done. That way they could get back to the fun all the sooner. Rosalie's expression changed quickly from amusement to aggravated embarrassment. She did not want to apologise for this. Emmett nudged her once more, a little harder this time.

"Carlisle, I am sorry to you and to the family for my unspeakable actions." She spoke swiftly, nipping at the partly forced words. "I only hope you will forgive me for my ghastly behaviour, and be assured that I shall not make such an atrocious error in judgement again." As she finished her garbled apology, she allowed the air in her lungs to escape; relief coursing through her. Emmett smiled proudly and nodded slightly; pleased his wife had found the courage to sort this. It wasn't like she had killed anyone. He turned his gaze from Rosalie to Carlisle, who was sitting perfectly still.

"Rosalie, you actions are not easily forgivable. However ... I accept your apology, thank you." His face became serious, almost authoritative as he eyed her. "Do not do this again."

Rosalie nodded tentatively, "I can assure you of that. I am aware that there are further issues that could arise if I did."

"Yeah, the Voltori." Emmett announced before thinking.

"Thank you Emmett. I do not think they pose a threat from this, but Rosalie, Emmett is right. If they were to catch wind of this, we would all be endangered."

"She knows, Carlisle." Emmett answered for her defensively.

The tension began to clear as Carlisle went on to explain to Rosalie that they had managed to deal with the humans. They had in fact informed the woman, Erica; that she had ventured too high up into the mountains. Being so high up the air had been too thin for her to breathe and she had lost consciousness. Edward had returned and found the man after reading the woman's mind, bringing him to safety. Her husband had also lost consciousness, which resulted in him falling from one of the rock edges. Carlisle told Rosalie that the man was going to survive and was currently begin treated at the hospital in ICU (intensive care unit). The woman had taken her child, believing that what she had seen Rosalie do was a dream and an affect of the thinning air, nothing more. It also helped that Carlisle had bent the truth by telling Erica Rosalie had saved them. Or ... at least that was what they were telling her.

... ... ...

"Jane, news on the Cullens?" Felix asked hopefully, an air of danger lingering in his tone as her approached her from behind.

"A little. The blond. What's her name?" Jane remained still as their devilish red eyes scaled the Cullen house; how close they were, and without being spotted. Genius.

"Rosalie." Felix answered slowly, delighted at being able to speak her name. After all, who wouldn't be, her appearance was ... intense ... striking. He smirked as he watched her make her way to the large grand piano in the hall.

"Yes, her. She exposed herself to humans yesterday. I should think that would be enough to eliminate her." Jane sounded almost delighted at the thought of inflicting her greatest pain possible on at least one of them. "We must weaken them Felix, they are too strong together."

"Then why are we waiting here?" He growled, wrenching his eyes away from Rosalie and to the caged, shaggy looking tiger. "And why do we still have this pathetic shape-shifter?"

Jane turned to him, her eyes glowed against the dark shadows of the trees, and with a single blink she was inflicting the excruciating pain upon him. As he bent double, feeling her wrath, he quickly recoiled and stopped questioning her.

"We need that thing to prevent Alice seeing us, you incompetent fool." Releasing him from her grasp, she turned back to the house. "It appears they help create a ... blind spot in her vision. She cannot see past them, or anyone in their presence."

They were playing the game well, and with a little too much danger. One of the guard had managed to capture the shape-shifting tiger in India. If Alice had been watching their decisions, then an inconspicuous member of the guard capturing one of their enemies would not have seemed unusual. But feeling her thoughts digress, Jane focused once again upon their plan for the Cullen clan. They needed to be taken out. The trial regarding Renesmee had not been forgotten by either party, and they wouldn't be expecting a visit so soon. But they had to remain hidden. It was a miracle they hadn't been spotted already by now. They would have to act. Rapidly.

... ... ...

Rosalie laid her slender fingers gracefully upon the ivory keys. Seeing as Alice and Esme had gone hunting without her this time, she would have to wait and accompany the men; sadly that would mean competition and not just eating. How gracious Carlisle had been to her about her 'slip-up', and he only ever continued to instil in her faith, confidence and loyalty. As her mind continued to think over her love for her adoptive family, she began to play Midnight Serenade, a piece of piano music by Glenn Miller that she had adored during her young vampiric days. It was a wonderful piece of orchestral jazz that had brought comfort to the hearts of so many during the World War, so it could also bring some comfort to hers now.

Carlisle waltzed himself into the hall in time to her playing, nose buried deeply in one of his many medical journals. Pausing mid waltz, and seemingly oblivious to Rosalie's concentration on the notes she was playing, he began to ramble medical facts at Rosalie. Slamming her fingers down against the unsuspecting keys, she smiled and turned to face him.

"No Carlisle, I did not know that. But I do now, so thank you. I will remember that if I am ever to perform a vivisection." She looked on at him with admiration as he let out a subconscious 'hum' and finding his dancing feet, continued contently on into his study. With an indulgent chuckle, and trying to ignore the tickle in the back of her throat, she returned to her music.

"No-one else around then." She decided, otherwise she would have been spared the pointless medical fact.

"I heard that." Carlisle poked his head back into the hall, despite it still remaining buried in his oversized book. Looking a little bewildered and slightly unimpressed Rosalie chose to ignore him. "Did you know that when a ..."

"No I do not. However, I know that I am hungry and we should be making tracks by now." But, then ignoring him would get her nowhere.

"You're quite right. I'll get the boys and we shall be on our way." He smiled to her before flitting off to find Emmet, Jasper and Edward. She wasn't in the mood for competing against Emmett, and it was never worth beating him as he would only want to try again anyway. As she made her way to the front door in order to await the others, she caught sight of her reflection in the long mirror.

'_Yikes'_ she thought to herself. She resembled a shabby nomad vampire that hadn't seen civilisation in nearly a decade. Ok, so that was a slight exaggeration, but still it wasn't her usual appearance.

"Looking gorgeous as always." Emmett informed her, brushing past as he counted to count the selection of different coloured stickers in his hands. She flashed him a smile that reflected against the gleaming mirror, only intensifying her beauty, and continued to brush the last of her hair into place. Placing the brush back to its rightful place on the old oak table, she swivelled to face him.

"What are they baby?" She frowned in confusion as he handed her ten purple stickers with a large 'R' written at the centre of each centre.

"We count how many kills we each make. One with the most wins!" He grinned widely before kissing her cheek and making his way out of the house. "Coming?" He called back to her.

"Right behind you." Absentmindedly, she placed the stickers down on the table below the mirror and followed swiftly behind. Clearing her throat as the thought of fresh blood began a frenzy in her, she flew alongside Emmett as they made their way out of the gardens and towards the river. They hadn't made it too far into the muggy forest before she realised she had left her stickers behind; not that that was what she wanted to be focusing on, but ... Emmett wouldn't let her live this down if she failed to mark any of her kills. Darn, she had to go back.

"I'll catch you up baby. I left the stickers." She called across to him as they dodged the rocks and trees in their path. She glanced swiftly in Jasper, Edward's and Carlisle's direction, seeing if they had heard her also. Carlisle raised his hand, giving her the thumbs-up sign as he continued to stalk for his prey.

"Alright, hurry back though angel. You'll miss the fun!" Before he had even finished speaking Rosalie reached out one arm, her hand grasping onto the rotting bark, while her arms wrapping itself around the trunk of the nearest tree, and propelled herself back around in the direction of the house.

It only took her a matter of minutes to return to the house, pick up the stickers, wave to Renesmee and Bella playing in the living room and begin making her way back towards Emmett and the others. As she sprinted a little quicker than before in order to catch up with them in time to begin the hunt, her eyes focused on the stickers Emmett had provided for her. Lost admits her thoughts of hunger, she failed to notice the darkly cloaked figure who seemed to almost glide towards her, emerging from the shadows of the trees.

Rosalie looked up.

She stopped, dead.

The air was different, tipped with a menacing odour. Rosalie allowed her breathing to desist in order for her hearing senses to take over. Her eyes searched desperately across the ground around her. Her posture closed in, leaning forwards as she crouched down. Whatever this was ... it was coming for her. She could hear it. She slowly adopted a position of attack and defence... and waited. Her eyes darted to the left as a branch snapped beneath the light weight of something moving over it. Rosalie's eyes were instantly drawn in the direction of the sound. And there it was. She caught sight of the small, red-eyed demon-child moving towards her.

"Shit." Rosalie exclaimed in a small, breathy cry. Fear pricked every inch of her body. She was defenceless against her. Alone against her.

"Jane."

_Sorry once again for the cliff-hanger! However, hope you enjoyed reading and if you have a moment please take a little time to review ... but, don't feel obliged ... much ... ha-ha_


	6. Parting is such sweet sorrow

_A quick note to thank two friends of mine, Chris and xelectrogirlx, for their role plays of the characters which helped me with this chapter. No music to accompany, so I just hope you enjoy the read!_

_**Disclaimer**__: One must do these things ... I do not own Twilight. However, I do want to own Kellan Lutz. Sadly for me though the law doesn't approve of kidnap. – Sulks – ENJOY!_

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

Parting is such sweet sorrow

He felt the brittle bones of the creature's neck snap beneath his marble fingers as they wrestled to the ground. Claws resembling the sharp blades of a dagger glinted in the reflection of his eyes. They slashed clean through the air, but nowhere near its attackers' body. They could do no damage to this predator. Its roars and cries were no more than a pathetic whisper against the breeze, unable to fully form without a neck intact. This one had given in all too easily, which always dampened the fun of the chase. But for Emmett however, it took a lot more than that to deter him from this game; the kill itself was enthralling enough. His arms tightened around the mountain lion's torso, holding it in place. He let out a groan of pleasure as the sound of crushing ribs rang in his ears. His eyes flashed with a spark of desire as he sank his teeth deep into the neck of his latest victim, he drank until the lion gave in its futile struggle and its fighting paws fell with a soft thud against the ground. Finally satisfied, he let out a deep laugh before stamping his seventh sticker on the completely drained creature. Jumping to his feet, he wiped his bloody mouth across the back of his hand and joined Edward and Carlisle; who sat patiently waiting as they compared the remainder of their stickers.

"So, I won right?" Emmett questioned smugly, before swiping one hand across Edward's back.

"Yeah, you win." Edward threw up his hands in defeat before taking a defensive swing back at Emmett, "I only managed five."

"Not yet Emmett ..." Carlisle said calmly, pointing to his left where Jasper was hurriedly making his way over to them.

"Eight." Jasper announced proudly, a confident smirk across his face. After making a small 'gesture' towards Emmett, he proceeded to carry out a victory dance around him. Visibly irritated, Emmett took a step back, but not before smashing his feet against the defenceless branches of the fern next to him. They shook fiercely at his touch.

"No freaking way!" He exclaimed, snatching the remaining two stickers from Jasper's hands.

"Believe it, dear brother," Jasper taunted as he adopted the pose of a winner, brandishing his arms above his head in victory. Emmett launched at him, knocking him off his feet as they disappeared into the undergrowth.

"Play nice!" Carlisle shouted after them, aware that there was no need for him to raise his voice. Chuckling and shaking his head in amusement, Edward surveyed their surroundings before concern dawned on his features.

"Carlisle, where is Rosalie?" Carlisle swiftly took to his feet.

"I haven't seen her since she went back for her stickers." He tried to sound calm, but this _was_ unusual. He had seen the thirst in Rosalie's eyes before they had left, she was rather hungry then, she wouldn't have wanted to wait this long to hunt.

"She may have waited for Bella to put Renesmee to bed. You know how Nessie distracts her. Bella was going hunting tonight, wasn't she?"

"Yes, I was planning on accompanying her." Edward recalled as Carlisle took a few steps forwards, looking on into the empty space and squashed ferns that Jasper and Emmett had left behind. She would be with Bella, no need to panic. Appearing out of the ferns seemingly untouched, Emmett strode over to them suddenly looking rather serious.

"No. Rosalie was coming back." His eyes darted between Carlisle and Edward before turning to watch as Jasper pulled himself out of the mangled mass of ferns and branches he had been wrapped in. Edward let out a loud laugh as he took in the sight of a now defeated Jasper. Emmett folded his arms across his chest, amused, watching his eighth victim stumble over himself.

"Oh, I believe it Jasper. A champion you are!" Edward eventually managed to form the words between spouts of laughter. Carlisle shook his head at the three of them before collecting the remaining carcasses and tossing them effortlessly into the undergrowth just out of sight.

"Right, let's get back. Rosalie and Bella will be gasping to hunt by now." As Carlisle began to make his way off the mountain, Emmett pulled lightly at his arm.

"I'm gonna wait, she'll be here somewhere." Carlisle hesitated, examining the frown that had formed upon Emmett's face, before nodding to him.

"Don't be long. I'm almost certain she will have remained with Bella." Carlisle patted Emmett's shoulder comfortingly before flying down the mountain side after Edward and Jasper, who were making good headway. Emmett ran his hands through his short, curly hair and began to head back into the opened space that was their hunting plane. Rosalie wouldn't have wanted to stay around Bella when she was as hungry as she was; he knew well enough that it was harder for her to hold her tongue. Even now, after all this time.

.

.. ...

"Alone without him, aren't you Rosalie?" Felix spat into her ear, his sharp teeth almost grazing against her neck. All the while, his wide eyes focused intently on the pacing Emmett. He laughed deeply ... slowly ... as he felt Rosalie stiffen in his grasp. He held her wrists firmly together behind her back as he balanced her on the edge of the cliff face. Her expression was hard, but with a hint of anger beginning to bubble to the surface. She was praying that Emmett wouldn't look up, that he wouldn't search the mountains, knowing he would fight them with everything he had if it meant getting her back. But alone, it was not a battle he was likely to win. When Felix had taken Rosalie, she had fought him herself. But he was too strong for her. The human blood running though him played to his advantage, that, and having Jane beside him. It had only been when Jane had promised to let Rosalie see Emmett that she had agreed to go with them quietly. But this was not exactly how she had pictured seeing him; watching helplessly over him. His guardian angel was failing to guard him now.

"Don't touch him." She eventually hissed at Felix, swivelling her head just enough to be level with his, her sullen features suddenly vicious. Her fierce loyalty to Emmett did not escape Felix, but that made this even more enjoyable for him. A smiled tugged at the corner of his lips as his monstrous red eyes glowered into hers. The suave and sophisticated appearance of Felix made his behaviour all the more chilling. His face was so close to hers now that if they had been breathing, she would have felt his ice cold desire smoother her. Her eyes hastily shifted to his smirking lips as she heard the low rumble in his chest that gave away his impure thoughts. He made her sick.

"Enough, Felix." Jane instructed him in her angelic, but placid voice. Rosalie couldn't help but wonder how such an angelic voice managed to trap itself in the childish body of a demon. She had been so silent, so still, that Rosalie had almost forgotten she was still there. Jane stood a little way back from Rosalie, keeping one eye closely on the caged and weak shape-shifter. Snapping his teeth once more at Rosalie, Felix stood tall behind her. He towered over her, just like Emmett did, but he was planning his moves to destroy him. So what if he had an inferiority complex with regard to Emmett, who was the one holding his mate close now? He chuckled inwardly. Maybe he would let Rosalie watch; show him that he was the better match for a woman as refined and exquisite as she was.

"We could kill him Rosalie." Jane clicked her fingers, "Like that. It would be so ... satisfying." Rosalie turned to her, horror numbing her senses.

"Please, Jane, we have done nothing. I fail to see what importance holding me has to you. If you touch Emmett...!" Her words caught in her throat as images of Jane inflicting her pain upon Emmett forced their way into her subconscious. Jane's blood-red eyes focused in on Rosalie and she laughed sweetly, bitterly. The fool, she held more importance than she could ever imagine. At any rate, she was easier to play. Rosalie would merely be a pawn in her game. Though, she didn't need be made aware of that now, did she? Jane's eyes glinted before continuing with her destructive game.

"What? A single blink is all it would take to prevent you doing anything ever again if that must be the way." Her eyes flitted back to Emmett. "Poor Emmett, no wife to return to. How pitiful." Rosalie struggled against Felix's grasp ... if only she could get to Jane. Hearing her threaten Emmett's life was enough to dissolve the fear Jane held over her, enough for Rosalie to want to kill, to give her the strength to defend. Felix's grasp only tightened around her wrists.

"Oh no, you're not particularly important to us at all. No useful talent. You're a piece of the puzzle Rosalie. I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."

"Let me go Jane." She demanded bravely, no hint of fear, no tremor in her words.

"You know I can't do that. You're the bait you see ..."

"Jane." Felix interrupted her. "That is not why Aro instructed us here."

"Quiet, Felix," she told him, not shifting her gaze from Rosalie. "But Rosalie, your family has become problematic for some time now. Know that there are certain members that are of interest to us. It would certainly be traumatic if anything were to happen to them, don't you think?"

"Don't hurt them! Take me then, kill me ... whatever it is you are here for. But, you think they won't come for me? You think _Emmett_ won't _fight_ for me?" Rosalie quickly recoiled and stopped talking; she was already giving too much away. Jane was clever and would pick up on her slightest weakness.

"They will come for you, eventually. We are counting on that, we desire that." Clearly confused, Felix scrunched his nose as he became fully engrossed in Jane's concocted tales. He worked hard to detect the hints of truth amongst her lies, the parts Aro had actually spoken to them himself. Rosalie pulled hard against him once more with all her might. To both their surprise, she freed herself from him and lunged forwards towards Jane. Her arms reached out for Jane's neck, her teeth bared for battle. Jane watched patiently as Rosalie flew towards her. She allowed Rosalie's fingers to almost sweep against the edges of her long black robe before blinking once, trapping Rosalie in an invisible field of excruciating pain. Rosalie let out a single cry as she felt daggers rip through every inch of her granite body. Her head flew back involuntarily, her eyes wide in agony.

"That's quite enough from you." Jane hit Rosalie with as much pain as she could possibly conjure. What fun this was becoming. Though, she was not accustomed to a silly little no-one talking to her with such hostility, and quite so freely. This one was confident, mouthy. The lack of respect annoyed her immensely. But this little chat had certainly been beneficial; it seemed that Emmett really was the key to Rosalie's demise after all, the weakness they needed to find in order to use it against her. Felix watched pleasurably for a moment, but as his eyes flittered between Rosalie and Jane, it dawned on him that Jane had no intention of releasing Rosalie. He shifted himself slightly closer, not wanting Rosalie harmed any further. Even in a position of power as he was, challenging Jane was near impossible. He had felt her wrath himself, and it certainly was not an experience he wanted again. But when Jane reached out a dainty finger, scraping her nail against Rosalie's cheek that parted her flawless skin, he forced himself to step in.

"Aro wants her in one piece Jane. This is not what we were told to do."

"Yes. You are right of course." She blinked once more and as Rosalie fell to the ground finally free, Felix sprang forwards catching her head in his palms. Jane looked on in amusement, a single eyebrow raised as Felix moved to save the Cullen girl. How extraordinary he should do such a thing. Felix looked down into Rosalie's seemingly dead eyes, wondering for a moment if she was okay. As the crack on her otherwise flawless cheek cemented itself, Rosalie suddenly sat bolt upright, focusing immediately upon Jane. All the pain Jane could inflict on her would never equal the pain she would feel at losing Emmett, and that thought alone was enough to give her the strength to carry on.

"You evil ..." she began though gritted teeth.

"Now, now. The decision is final. Either you come with us, or he dies." She gracefully placed one arm out in Emmett's direction. Realising her physical strength was diminished Rosalie remained crouched on the rocky stone, pushing Felix away from her with a single touch. Though he moved back, he ran one hand along her arm in a flirtatious manner.

"Aro wants to make peace with your coven Rosalie. Jane is toying with you." He flashed her a single look, but Rosalie was too lost in confusion to see what that look indicated.

"Always spoiling the fun," Jane aimed at Felix before continuing her torment of Rosalie. "Aro wants to offer you the one thing you desire the most. You see, all that time ago when he touched Alice he saw more than he expected to. It seems she thinks a lot about you and your troubles. So, either you come with us now and this feud is amended, or Emmett is destroyed. The choice is yours, don't choose wrong."

Jane's choice of words stirred memories within Rosalie; '_You have a choice, we didn't, and you're choosing wron_g'. She had lectured Bella about choosing the right path, not wanting her to make such a mistake. It was in this moment as she sat before Jane for reasons she still didn't understand, she realised that she would have to make the decisions that would seal the fates of others; of her husband and family.

"I don't understand what you are asking of me Jane." Rosalie hissed, her frustration at Jane's games becoming apparent to them all.

"It's not for you to question or to understand. After your little ... stunt ... with that human and her baby, you should be grateful we are not ending you. Come with us and Emmett will remain untouched. For now." Her eyes searched Rosalie's, waiting for her to realise they knew of her recent horrid actions. "It upsets Aro that his relations with Carlisle and your family have grown taut. He intends to make amends. He means to offer you a child Rosalie."

Rosalie's draw dropped uncontrollably, her self-control suddenly sparse. She knew that this was too good to be true ... but the temptation was too great. If she were to leave with them she could have everything and Emmett would be unharmed. If she stayed, he would die. Maybe Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Jasper, Edward, Bella and Renesmee along with him. The two conflicted ideas warred against each other; to stay and fight, or to leave peacefully with them now. Her loyalties to her family were the obvious priority, but the carrot had been dangled between her black eyes. Her rationality was still a little skewed from the betrayal she had felt when Carlisle and Emmett had taken the baby back from her arms, when they had tricked her. And now she was trying to defend them all single- handed, when all the Volturi wanted to offer her was a child. Leaping on Rosalie's silence and taking it as a sign of her near victory, Jane dangled the carrot she was soaking in blood a little closer to Rosalie.

"Think about it for a moment won't you, though I imagine you already are. Rosalie and Emmett, parents at last." She trailed off, leaving Rosalie with the most perfect of images. All she had ever wanted.

"I don't see how Aro would allow that." Rosalie once again picked Emmett out of the distance wishing he was with her now to hear these words and to hold her together.

"If I leave with you now, Alice and Edward will be left alone? Emmett unharmed? And I am given a child and allowed to leave Volterra freely?" She was aware of quite how ridiculous this sounded. But every other option seemed to have failed them, it was worth a try. Wasn't it? She would be able to keep the family safe ... pay them back for her previous hostility and behaviour towards them over the years. Still focused upon Emmett and with their dream so in reach, she missed the knowing look Jane and Felix exchanged.

"Of course." Jane answered angelically. "Shall we?" She waved one arms graciously to indicate it was time to depart.

... ... ...

"I don't understand why I can't see her." Alice rubbed her temples in frustration.

"She came back Alice and she left, something isn't right about this. But it's not your fault." Bella spoke up from the corner of the room where she was sat with Renesmee. She brushed aside a curl of her daughter's hair, smiling to her, trying to assure her that everything would be alright.

"We should not have allowed her to go alone. It was irresponsible of me." Carlisle's voice was laced with despair.

"You were not to know. We still do not know anything is wrong, we should wait until Emmett returns, she may be with him," Esme said in an attempt to reassure him.

"If she was with Emmett I would be able to see her. Emmett is on his way back now." Alice answered confidently as she placed herself on the sofa next to Carlisle. "She is not with him."

No sooner than she had spoken, did Emmett burst through the door. He raked his eyes across the room as they gazed at him concernedly. He took a moment to compose himself, assessing each member of his family before speaking in a slow, calm manner that did not fool anyone.

"Where is my wife?" His teeth were gritted and in a single leap he placed himself in the centre of the living room. It didn't take him long to realise that none of them know the answer. But denial was much easier than the acceptance that she was nowhere to be found. Carlisle's eyes fell to the floor as he realised that he would have to be the one to break this news to Emmett. He stood uncertainly before joining Emmett and placing one hand on his tensed shoulder.

"She wasn't here when we returned, Jasper and Edward have gone to scout the surrounding areas." He paused briefly debating if Emmett would react to the next fact they had, "Emmett, Alice can't see her in any visions. She saw you, but Rosalie is nowhere to be seen."

He felt Emmett tense a little more, which he didn't think could have been possible. His fists tightened into balls at his sides, before he shrugged Carlisle's arm off him.

"Then where is she?" he answered, his voice quivering slightly.

"I'm sorry son, we are as bemused as you." Esme's regret was hard to miss in her usually mothering tone. The front door swept open and Edward and Jasper flew into the room. Emmett's eyes shifted swiftly to his two panicked looking brothers.

"We found her scent, she was by the river when we lost it. There was an unusual scent beside hers ... but we picked up something else, something horrid. And then, nothing." Jasper raced through their findings, clearly pleased they at least had something to work with. Something was always much more preferable to nothing at all.

"I think she is still in the area, but she's not alone. I picked up some of her thoughts but we couldn't find her. I'm sorry Emmett. She must have been close." Edwards face was etched with the pity he felt for Emmett, but part of him was just thankful that it had not been Bella or Renesmee; Rosalie was stronger than them, she would be able to stand her ground easier. They all waited, trying to guess Emmett's next move. He was well known for acting irrationally before thinking things through properly, but when it came to the person he cherished the most, irrationality didn't quite cover it. There was an extremely uncomfortable silence as the latest news sank in. Someone had Rosalie.

"Everything alright?" A dainty voice travelled through the room as Erica slowly made her way through the maze of people. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, I just needed to speak with Esme about ..."

"Yes of course Erica, shall we go to the study?" Esme quickly interrupted her mid-sentence as she saw the flash of confusion spark in Emmett's eyes. Swiftly, but inconspicuously, she delicately placed one hand on the small of Erica's back, directing her out of the room as quickly as 'humanly' possible. But not before throwing a desperate glance back to Alice. Emmett's eyes followed the clearly human woman, finding he was unable to stop gawping at her. This was the human woman that Rosalie had ... well, made the mistake with. Why on earth was she still here now? He opened his mouth to speak as Esme disappeared with her, but the words he wanted to say had trouble finding their way out. Alice spoke quickly before Emmett jumped to any wrong conclusions.

"It's a long story and a complicated one. I'll explain later, right now Rosalie needs us." As much as Emmett wanted to argue this now, he wanted to know more than anything else where Rosalie was. Edward and Carlisle hovered in the furthest corner from them, speaking in low, muffled tones. His eyes focused still on the doorway Erica had left through, he listened intently to whatever it was they didn't want him to hear.

"What is it Edward?" he said eventually, marching over to them and with a single flick of his arm, had turned Edward towards him. Carlisle swiftly repositioned himself between Edward and Emmett; this was not going to be easy for Emmett to hear. Edward shot a questioning look to Carlisle, almost pleading not to be the one who had to speak these words. Carlisle closed his eyes briefly as he nodded once in encouragement. Inhaling deeply, Edward looked to Emmett's broad chest unable to meet his eyes.

"I recognised the scent," he looked despairingly at Emmett. "Rosalie is with Jane."

_Well there we have it! Reviews are always appreciated. Thank you to those of you who have been leaving reviews for me so far, you guys rock! I shall be getting to work on the next chapter as soon as I can._


	7. Red and Black: desire and despair

_This chapter seemed to flow much easier than the others so I'm pleased to be updating so soon! As always I hope you enjoy reading and I look forwards to hearing your comments._

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

Red and Black: desire and despair

"If she's with Jane, I can only assume they will be heading to Volterra." Carlisle mused. The whole family remained congregated in the living room, attempting to piece together these unforeseen events. Alice and Jasper hovered next to the sofa, clutching each other's hands. Alice's face was pained, her eyes filled with sorrow as she struggled to accept that she hadn't been able to foresee this, to see her sister would be taken from them and to prevent it. Jasper's golden eyes roamed over her, obviously unsure how to bring her comfort. Just in front of them Carlisle and Esme perched edgily on the oversized couch. Edward, Bella and Renesmee grouped together by the smouldering fireplace. Edward stood protectively over his wife and daughter as Renesmee read through yet another fairytale Carlisle had given her, they needed her with them, but to have her distracted was preferable to her being completely aware of the danger that loomed over them all. The atmosphere was tense, uncertain, which put them all on edge. They knew that if the Volturi had taken Rosalie, then there was a strong possibility this was not going to end well. When they had eventually left after their last visit concerning Renesmee, it was made pretty clear that they would not take defeat lightly, and that they would return. But, no-one had imagined it would have been quite so soon.

"I don't see why they have chosen Rosalie. It doesn't make sense." Esme added, she had left Erica and Alyan in the cottage to make sure she would not overhear any of their conversations. After all, Erica was oblivious to the knowledge that she was residing, hiding out even, in a house of vampires.

"They must have been watching us," Bella realised, but only as she spoke the words. "Though that doesn't explain why they would choose to separate Rosalie from us. Would they not have come for Edward or Alice, they are who they want, right?"

"Maybe, but we cannot afford to draw any unfounded conclusions until we have the facts," Carlisle ran one hand through his blond hair as he placed the other on Esme's shoulder.

"If they have been watching, then they would have seen what Rosalie did." Emmett spoke quietly from the other side of the room. He faced away from the others, gazing out the window as if expecting to see her waltz back towards him at any moment. His chest was still, holding his breath as he realised what they would do to her. "If they know, they will not give her another thought. She will ..."

"Emmett, we won't let it come to that." Even without allowing Emmett to finish his sentence, Edward knew exactly what he was thinking. The room fell silent as each of them in turn caught on to his meaning. The Volturi had always been looking for away to bring them down and Rosalie had stepped out of line. It would certainly be a starting point for them. By exposing herself as she had, they would kill her without question. Emmett turned slowly back in to the room.

"What do I do?" He spoke in a low, muffled tone feeling completely lost. His eyes gave away every emotion he was feeling. After a further moment of awkward silence, he straightened himself up trying hard to piece himself back together. "I have to get her back. I won't sit and wait for them to..."

"Emmett." Carlisle glanced to him, hushing him with a single look that asked him not to think such thoughts. Edward winced, obviously wishing he had stayed out of Emmett's head at that moment. But he was right, they had to act and fast. Rosalie might not have long once she had been presented to Aro, and Carlisle knew that would be an inevitability. They were not likely to forgive Rosalie for exposure.

...

The daylight swiftly and majestically faded once more into night on its never ending cycle. Bella had taken Renesmee up to bed once she had begun asking questions that were becoming more difficult to answer without scaring her. She had reached out a small hand to Bella's cheek, showing her that she remembered exactly who the Volturi were. And both Bella and Edward decided that she had heard and understood quite enough. They hovered in the doorway to Edward's old room where they had allowed her to sleep for the night.

"I don't want her to be away from us Bella," Edward shook his head as he watched his daughter sleeping soundly. Dreaming innocently.

"And I do?" She challenged him. "Jacob will be able to protect and hide her if ... if things get worse. If we have to go to Volterra, I will not have her with us and being put in the face of danger."

"I don't like it, but I agree. I'll call him in the morning, ask if he can care for her for a few days."

"No Edward, I will call him." Bella informed him bluntly. She hadn't spoken to him for a while anyway and she was sure he would be planning on visiting Renesmee soon. It was a little strange that he hadn't seen her in almost a week now, and that in Bella's mind, indicated something was wrong.

Below them in the sitting room, no-one else had moved; except to occasionally offer comfort to their partner, or to Emmett. He sat quietly on the furthest seat from the group, his head buried deeply into his hands. It only seemed a moment since she had been taken from him, but in reality it was almost five hours ago now. Every single idea they had come up with had been disregarded for one reason or another, and they seemed to be going in circles. They were wasting time, precious time that they would not be able to get back. How long would it be before her judgement day? When some Volturi tosspot decided if his wife would live or die? Emmett slammed his fist against the wall, leaving a deep crater in it. Everyone jumped before turning to him; everyone except Alice. They watched in astonishment for a moment as the plaster fell to his feet.

"Decide already. If not, I'm going ... alone." His voice was low, definite, with a deep growl under toning his words. Esme flittered to his side, pulling his clenched fist away from the wall.

"Careful Emmett, don't let the anger go to your head. We cannot simply dive in head first, that will get us all killed. The army we may face is a dangerous foe. The Voltouri guard is harder to catch, to trick and to fight. You know that." The authority Carlisle asserted towards Emmett was made clear as he tried to make him understand that rushing in would do more harm than good.

"So what? We sit here and do nothing?" he roared. Esme swung around as she failed to hold Emmett back. Anger took hold of his emotions and of his self control as he shot to Carlisle. Standing face to face with him, his breathing was erratic and his eyes bored holes into Carlisle's. Feeling Emmett's anger only increasing Jasper swiftly left Alice's side to offer Carlisle his aid.

"Don't take this out on him Em, we are trying to help." He narrowed his eyes as he sent waves of calm over them both. As Emmett stood before Carlisle guilt built in his features.

"Sorry, I just ... I need her back Carlisle, before anything happens to her. Sitting here when we should be out there giving everything to get Rose back, it's ..." He sighed heavily, taking a step back into Esme's open arms. "... just getting to me."

Knowing better than to react, Carlisle eyed each member of his family in turn. They had to decide what they were going to do, now.

"It's time for us all to decide who we are. Do we stay here and let it play out, or do we fight with everything we can give for Rosalie? We are a family, a unit, but we are more than that. We are vampires, strong ones together in battle; we have proved that several times over. It will be dangerous and tough. I cannot deny that." He waited for a response, knowing that the answer would be too fight, they had no other option now.

"We owe her Carlisle, well, I know I do. She may have been hostile about it at first, but she has always fought beside you for me, for Edward and for Nessie. I think it's about time I repaid her for that." Bella made her way into the room, closely followed by Edward. She looked to Emmett, flashing him a sisterly, but strong smile. "I say we fight."

"So do I."Alice shifted to stand beside Bella and Edward before looking to Edward for his decision. His features frowned at hearing Bella be so ready to walk into war. There was no guarantee they would all walk out of this alive.

"I'll fight for my sister, Bella's right, I owe her. As I do all of you." He glanced to Jasper.

"Fight." He answered simply but confidently.

"She is our daughter and I will do anything for my children." Esme took hold of Emmett's hand. "We will get her back, son."

"Well then. We should prepare." Carlisle turned and headed out the room towards his study. Kissing Alice's cheek, Jasper glided along behind him, as did Edward. Alice returned to the same spot she had been sat in all evening, trying desperately to get a vision of Rosalie. Esme ran her fingers down Emmett's arm and smiled weakly up to him before joining Alice. Once everyone had dispersed, it hit Emmett that Rosalie really was not here. His eyes scanned the room seeing little things everywhere that reminded him of her absence. He shook his head as though shaking the images and thoughts from his mind. Not wanting to deal with it any longer, he sauntered out on to the balcony; he could talk fighting talk a little later. Right now, he just wanted to be alone where he could love and miss her.

The night air held no interest for him as it had done when he would see Rosalie standing in it. He stared blankly out into the darkness and up towards the moon. Maybe it could show him where she was, shine down on her? He stared a moment longer, his hands resting themselves on the balcony where all this talk of children and their future had begun all those weeks ago. No, it seemed the moon didn't want to co-operate tonight. Her face haunted his mind as could see nothing but her. Who knew he would feel so weak without her. He didn't even feel like talking about tearing apart the Volturi which was something he had been looking forwards to for a long time now. But not when it meant the possibility of losing his soulmate, his life, his gravity, his wife ... his angel. As he lost himself in the loneliness he felt without her, he heard tiny footsteps head out to meet him. He spoke softly to the disembodied feet.

"Alice. Now's not a great time."

"Once again, I'm sorry!" A little voice piped up. Emmett spun himself around as his clean air became polluted with the scent of sweet human blood. The shock on his face was clearly amusing to the woman, who was rocking a baby in her arms. "It's ok, he's sleeping. A noisy bugger when he's awake."

Emmett stood as still as stone, not quite sure why she was here, or way she was talking to him. As she slowly rocked her way over to his side, he realised that standing this still might seem a little odd, so quickly shifted his weight in an awkward manner. He thought over several amusing comments to make to her, but quickly decided against them.

"What up?" He greeted her eventually as she turned and leaned against the glass.

"Not much," she chuckled. "You must be Emmett. They said I wouldn't miss you." Her eyes roamed over his large shape as she compared her tiny figure to his.

"Yeah ... who are you?" He knew exactly who she was, but playing dumb might get him some answers.

"The name's Erica. Your family helped care for me after our accident up in the mountains." She eyed him, not quite sure how to gauge his reaction to her. He seemed ... a little on edge. "We got too high up, the thin air apparently knocked us for six, so the Doctor says anyway."

"Yes, he must be right ..." Emmett watched her closely, trying not to breathe in her scent. But when she looked to him, he had to breathe every now and then to appear normal. "So, you're ... staying here?"

"Yes, I thought they would have told you already? Seems not." She sighed and turned back to face over the balcony. "Guess I'll be the one to tell you then."

Emmett relaxed a little, slightly grateful for the distraction and also for some answers, finally. His eyes widened as Erica went on to tell him about her husband, the man Edward had saved and how violent he had been towards her over the years. She had looked embarrassed as she explained how they had gone hiking so she could pretend to lose him and free herself from him. Emmett found himself shaking his head over and over again in horror of her story. But he was also a little impressed by Carlisle's inventive mind for getting him and Rosalie out of the dark. He couldn't help but think how this could play to his advantage ... she had no clue they were not human! As he began to plot how this could save Rosalie, he was suddenly brought down to earth with a thud.

"So, you see. My husband is a threat to us and I made the decision alone. I cannot care for this child as he deserves to be cared for. After speaking with the doctor I decided that people who are brave enough to save a total stranger, are the kind of good people Alyan should have as parents. Alice mentioned to me that you and your wife were unable to have children, so ..." She paused seeing the dumbfounded look on Emmett's face.

"I'm sorry, this is a shock to you. I'm not very good at explaining myself, I kind of ramble on and on and on ..." She rambled.

"No, no. Its fine, I just ... I don't quite believe what you're saying to me. You want Rosalie and I to have your child?" He fell over the words as he struggled to comprehend what she was telling him.

"No, I don't want you to have him. I want you to adopt him. I've been waiting here so I could meet you and your wife. Well, hiding out from my husband too, but mostly for you guys." She looked around, "Where is she? I'm desperate to meet her. She's a very attractive woman, you've done well kid." She nudged Emmett's rib in a taunting manner.

A laugh escaped his lips, "More than you could possibly know."

Emmett began to explain that Rosalie was away for a while, but was abruptly stopped as Erica handed him the baby boy. The skin of their arms brushed lightly against each other's as the remarkable exchange happened.

"You're cold, you should get indoors soon." He laughed again, his eyes fixated on the most wonderfully gift that could ever be bestowed upon him. The baby's hair was dark, little dimples resting on flushed cheeks. He was everything Rosalie had asked for. "His name is Alyan, it means blessed. He's yours if you want him. If your wife wants him?"

"She will, I mean she does!" He answered hastily, still not quite taking this in. Suddenly becoming aware of several pairs of eyes staring out the windows at him, he looked up. Carlisle and Esme looked horrified that Erica had obviously told him already. Alice was grinning like a Cheshire cat and he could see Jasper stood in the shadows just behind her. Edward and Bella joined Esme and Carlisle, both looking rather worried by this untimely development.

They had to focus on Rosalie, and this could possibly only exasperate things. Emmett stood cradling his new son in his arms before whispering too softly for Erica to hear.

"We have to get Rosalie. Now."

... ... ...

Rosalie held her breath as she marched down the endless corridor. The stone walls seemed to be closing in around her and her nerves tangled themselves in knots. The journey to Volterra had been a long one. She had spent the majority of it trying to hold her tongue, being belittled at every possible moment by Jane, and fighting off Felix's wondering hands and inappropriate comments. It was no longer a question in her mind that Felix seemed to have built an infatuation with her, it was now a fact. Jane strode on ahead of Rosalie, Felix glided along behind her. As they finally reached the old, large doors that concealed the great hall, Jane halted.

"Good luck." She laughed to Rosalie and with a flick of her wrists, the large doors flew open. Rosalie swallowed hard. The caged tiger had been placed in the centre of the room, he was barely moving now, too weak and unfed to hold himself upright. As her eyes moved over the cage and up to the three large thrones, she saw them. Aro, Caius and Marcus.

"Welcome, Rosalie."


	8. Method in the madness

_The inspiration for the opening of this chapter was from a song by hammerfall – Between two worlds. If you listen to it, it may just be me, but start 1.20 in to the song! (I'm not a fan of the introduction personally) _

_But once again, I hope you enjoy this chapter. _

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

Method in the madness

_The mist formed on the ground around his feet, rising higher by the second. Ahead of him, far off in the distance two doors stood alone. He stared at them for a moment, confused. Where had they come from? As they seemed to glide towards him, he wished he could feel nothing. No pain, no loss. But behind that hurt, there was a light. It shone brightly, illuminating the doors with its glorious shine. Without that pain, he wouldn't know love. That pain and hurt meant that she was real, that she still existed out there somewhere. The light faded slowly, and the doors opened. One would lead to where he had been, where he had come from. The other to change, to the exciting, the new and the dangerous. But he was trapped between these two dimensions, two so very different worlds. Whichever he was to pick would have consequences, good and bad. Why can black not be black and white be white? Why is there always grey? He was the devil, a monstrous angel whose wings had been torn, stranding him here on earth. Left to often wish he was not the good, the evil and everything else in between. Sometimes he was the hunter, a vicious unstoppable force. Other times he was the prey, the hunted. Being the hunted was never the dimension he liked to be in; not when being the hunter was so much more enjoyable. As the illuminating light lit up once more, it twisted in fluid swirls as it formed into the sun and shot higher and higher up into the never ending sky that was not quite dark, but not quite light. If this was a dream, then it was a cruel one. But the un-dead could not sleep; they could not soar away into the subconscious. The sun shimmered against diamond encrusted skin, until once again it exploded into nothing, leaving him standing again in the lonely dark. Letting his eyes fall back to earth, the doors were now in reach. He roared in frustration, in anger, hate and in sorrow, but no sound left his quivering lips. From between the slight gap of the doors, she ran towards him, her golden hair flying in the non-existent breeze behind her. The shimmering strands twisted and played with the air. She was beautiful, an angel who would never need a disguise. Not from him. A delicate hand reached out for him. He heard her speak, but those beautiful granite lips did not move. The voice was hers, but it was a whisper almost lost in the space between them._

"_Come with me, leave with me now. Leave this world behind and be free. Forget this life, don't look back, you're safe with me; together forever. You and I against it all, remember."_

_The words echoed against the useable walls that trapped him here. He opened his mouth to speak to her but as he did, she faded away. Dissolving into one of the doors, but which? He could not tell. Where could he go to be with her? He stepped towards the door on the left, glancing through it he could see their past, every precious moment of it locked safely away. As happy as that was, it still held snippets of the bad, of her anger, resentment and longing. As he edged towards the door on the right, he saw nothing. The unknown was not written for them, but she must be there, he had to take that chance. Closing his eyes, he stepped forwards..._

"Emmett? ... Son ..." Esme called to him, gliding to his side as he stood in the doorway of their bedroom. "How are you doing?"

As she reached out one arm and placed it gently on his shoulders he jumped. The world was gone, the doors were gone. It had not been a dream, he knew that, but it felt so real. She had been so close, he could have reached out and saved her, but he didn't. Esme clicked her fingers softly just in front of his eyes.

"Hello?" She chimed, a little nervously. A small crease formed between her eyebrows as she took in his frozen features and far off eyes. She followed his gaze for a moment, intrigued by whatever it was he was so intently staring at. She coughed unnaturally as she realised that the white wall behind his bed really couldn't hold much interest for him. However, she knew as well as he did that the wall was missing someone, someone that did make it exciting. Rosalie. Emmett blinked, letting the venom in his eyes return, and it felt good. Turning to his left, he acknowledged Esme standing beside him. She was a little squished as she tried to fit her slight body next to his huge one in the tiny doorway. There were a thousand comments he thought of making, but they all seemed out of place, and he held them back.

"I'm here. I was just thinking of our options." He smiled weakly to her, his eyes still a little glazed over. She balanced perfectly on the balls of her feet as she reached up to hug his shoulders.

"Your brothers are trying to work out some tactics with Carlisle ... ones that won't end in our slaughter. Rosalie is strong Emmett. Of all of us ... she's the one who will be giving it to Aro straight!"

A rumble of laughter stirred in his chest as he pictured Rosalie going bad-ass on the Volturi's backsides. She always was good in battle, but he had always been beside her to make sure no harm came to her. The laughter trapped in his throat as that vision swiftly changed, manifesting into one of Jane's evil eyes. He growled.

"What of Jane?" He mumbled as he strode into the bedroom, shifting one of Rosalie's favourite pairs of shoes off the bed and onto the floor. "She has no power to fight her."

"Jane is malicious, but Aro has some sense of family. He won't want to hurt her ... at least, I don't think he will until he has spoken with Carlisle. He still has some respect for him, diminished as it may be. I think there is more to this than meets the eye. I can't help but feel that them taking Rose was a means to another end ..." She trailed off, pondering over her own thoughts and hoping that she was right.

"Sense of family or not, if they know what Rose has done then what chance does she have? If he wanted to be _civil_', he spat that word out, casting it aside in regards to the likes of the Volturi, "then why did he not come here himself and speak with Carlisle?"

Esme mused for a moment, wanting to say the right thing. But that was easier said than done. Emmett plonked himself down on the edge of the large bed and fiddled with a strap of one of Rosalie's tops that lay abandoned next to him.

"I suppose they feel safer in their own territory. Here, we have the aid of the wolves if necessary and that will not have escaped them." Emmett knew she was right, but it was almost impossible for him to think positively right now. This black hole seemed to be calling out to him, wanting to swallow him away into nothing. Esme flew to his side, seeing the pain in his eyes that was not something she was used to seeing in him, and it hurt her. A half smile tugged for a second at the corner of his lips, before fading quicker than it had appeared. He forced himself to open up to Esme; she at least would not use it against him later.

"I should be riled- up. I should be ready to take out those monsters Esme, but I'm not. I can't get past the thought that I may not see her again. That I didn't kiss her goodbye when she turned back. That she wasn't beside me when Erica gave me the news that would have saved her all this ... pain, whatever it is."

He blinked away the unformed tears, a human reaction that would never desist, and turned his face away from her a little embarrassed. He was always the strong one, not the one who broke down and almost stopped functioning. But he had never been without Rosalie, never experienced this. Seeing he was having trouble to express himself to her, she simply nodded in agreement before speaking tentatively, carefully even.

"If I know you as well as I'm sure I do, then I can tell you it will come. When don't you like the chance to fight, Emmett?" She tilted her head to look up to him as she placed herself gracefully down beside him, "You just need to focus on getting Rosalie back, not on the worst possible outcome. Rose needs you Emmett, so do we. Where would we be without our strong man?"

"You're right. Pretty useless I'd say." Esme nudged him in the rib, hoping she had restored even the slightest amount of faith back in him. Besides, she was right, without his physical strength and passionate love for Rosalie they would have half the chance of getting out of this together. Her eyes darted out of the window, suddenly aware of Erica, who was clumsily making her way through the dark to the cottage Bella and Edward had graciously surrendered to her.

"Erica has gone to put Alyan to bed. I assume she will be needing some rest also. I wanted to ... I was wondering how you felt about that, I know the timing wasn't great for her to put that on you. But she has no idea what's going on, you understand?" She remained motionless as she attempted to read his expressions. He wasn't making that an easy task; they were changing so quickly even for a supernatural pace.

"I can't really think about it Esme. Wish it had come sooner, you know? Then none of this would have happened."

"It still may have Emmett, as I said before ... I think there is more to this than meets the eye." Esme reconfirmed her suspicions, but also couldn't stand to see Emmett attempting to find someone or something to blame. Eventually he would act on that blame and that she knew would not end pleasantly. Scooting closer to her son's side she attempted to wrap her small arms under his muscly one and around his wide chest. He chuckled as he felt her hands straining to meet each other around him. Failing miserably, she surrendered and resorted to patting his chest before continuing.

"I love Rosalie as her mother, and I want you to know that I will be by your side. If we win this, you can be the one to give her that news. Just think what that will mean coming from you, hmm? Whatever decision we all make, we fight together, okay?"

Emmett nodded mechanically before pulling himself up and wrapping his arms around her. With all his might, he held her tightly for a moment.

"Umm, Em?" The words squeezed their way out from her crushed lungs, "A little looser if you wouldn't mind?" Instantly, he released his grasp on her and returned to slouching on the empty bed. Esme quickly composed herself, twisting her blouse back to its rightful place and brushed her chestnut hair behind her ears. She hovered for a moment before sensing it was time to leave him. In a single movement, she placed one finger under his chin, kissed him on the cheek and floated out of the room.

It was dawn once more before Emmett was able to find himself. He had chosen the right hand door and instead of stepping cautiously through it, he leapt with his eyes wide open. Sitting here feeling sorry for himself was not going to bring Rosalie any closer to him, he needed to get it together and help save his wife. He hadn't realised quite how still he had been sitting for hours on end, until he jumped up and to his feet. So, they were working on yet another plan ... he waited a moment, shifting his eyes around the empty room before flying out of it and whirling around the house to find them. Alice smiled widely as she heard him crashing through every room.

"He's back!" She smiled to Renesmee and Bella before throwing yet more brand new tops to them.

Emmett slammed the door to the garage shut before checking the one room he had not yet caused destruction too. He flew through living room and up the stairs before skidding to a halt as he collided loudly with Jasper. Carlisle and Edward glanced up, their eyes following Jasper's body as he flew into the large tropical plant in the corner of the study.

"Take it easy!" Jasper barked at him while pulling himself out of the large, spiky leaved plant. Irritated for a moment before picking up on Emmett's inner anguish, he darted back to Emmett's side. "Sorry, didn't mean to snap."

"S'alright." Emmett nudged him lightly in acceptance of his apology. However, he was not going to apologise himself, not when it amused him as it had. He watched once more with a cheeky grin as his little nudge sent Jasper flying straight back into the plant pot once again ...

"My bad," he said unapologetically. Edward laughed lightly hearing Jaspers low growl before turning his attention back to their three separate piles of scribbled out strategies; some that could work, others that would almost certainly get them all massacred, and the third were ideas that may be plausible and with minimum carnage.

"Your third encounter with me and vegetation, Jazz. _Nice_." Emmett stuck his thumb up to Jasper patronisingly, but before Jasper had the chance to react the room shook as he slammed his fists down on Carlisle's desk. Carlisle looked up to him as if to check he was finally Emmett again; also a little thankful his desk was a sturdy one.

"What's the plan? I vote we tear them apart slowly, burn one piece at a time." He was certainly back and ready to fight with a vengeance. Carlisle's eyes lit up, after analysing Emmett momentarily, as he decided that his mentality was stable and in fighting mode. This meant they could talk seriously with him; he needed to know the plans they had been over already, and understand why they had been thrown aside.

"It looks like we're going to Volterra in a few days. But only once we have every possibility covered. Once Nessie is awake, Bella's going to meet Jacob at the territory divide. She will be safe with him."

"Plus, it means not having to leave someone behind, we will be stronger together. Bella's shield will come in very handy with the likes of Jane." Edward looked up to meet Emmett, who was hastily sifting through the papers. "Are you alright bro?"

"As well as I can be. These plans look slow. Rose might not have this amount of time, Carlisle." Pushing the plans aside and out of their tidy piles, he looked expectantly to his father and guardian, waiting for more.

"It's the best we have Emmett, we are not going to be protected as we were before with Tanya and the others. We cannot expect them to risk everything again for us again. We are alone." Carlisle shook his head in disbelief at realising the truth in his words. They really were alone.

"I'd risk every freaking limb for Rose." Emmett growled.

"Yes, I do not doubt that, but we would like you to return with them all intact too Emmett." Carlisle spoke in his usual soft tone as he gathered the papers together again.

"Well ... maybe not all of them," Jasper mumbled tauntingly from the left hand side of the desk. Choosing to ignore that jibe, as hard as that was, Emmett ran his hands though his thick hair. A few days might be too late. Rosalie would most likely be in Volterra by now and hell only knows what they were doing to her.

"We can't wait. We have to move now!" He demanded. Edward stood back, seeing the spark of desperation in Emmett's eyes that usually meant a nasty fight was brewing.

"Emmett, we cannot rush in. If you want Rosalie alive then we have to think this through. And I will not risk losing anyone. The Volturi are strong ..."

"We are stronger." His deep bass tone rattled the pen that lay beside Carlisle's hand. Carlisle's eyes cut to the trembling fountain pen.

"Not in their lands. They have the advantage."

"Jasper is right," Edward spoke for Jasper, who looked a little puzzled at hearing his thoughts before he had properly thought them. "We need to find a way in, something they won't suspect."

Emmett stood tall, clenching his fists in annoyance. He just wanted to get there, get Rosalie, kill a few red-eyed parasites and get out. These plans were going to mean a longer delay. Alice danced into the room closely followed by Esme and Bella. In turn, they eyed her. Her arms were held out with several black cloth robes in them and she was looking rather pleased with herself.

"I think I can help with that." She smiled sweetly, but danger lurked behind her golden eyes.


	9. Fortunes' fool

_**Hello! Just a quick message to let you know that after re-examining the guidelines, I may have to bring the rating up to T, just to cover myself if the story continues as it is – it may not however, but just as a precaution I'm letting you know in advance. As I have little idea where the story is going until I begin writing, I had not anticipated this – so apologies! **_

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

Fortunes' fool

"Please, do enter and join us." Aro rose gracefully from his throne, waving an arm towards Rosalie as if to encourage her in, but she didn't move. Instead, her hungry eyes searched the large hall. This place was just as she had imagined, how Carlisle and Alice had described it to her. The high scaling walls of marble and stone stretched up to meet the angelically decorated ceiling. Paintings and memories of the past forever engraved into the buildings past, present and future. For a moment, Rosalie thought she could hear the long ago faded screams that echoed through the endless corridors of this place. What a false picture it was that dominated the cold, stone ceiling above her. Smiling human faces were not something that was relevant here, at least, not for long. Allowing her eyes to fall back into the room, she saw that there was not much in the way of furniture or creature comforts here; but then not all clans wanted to keep up the human facade as hers did. She felt every muscle in her body begin to tense, a lack of human necessities only reinforced to Rosalie how different an existence the Volturi lived from hers; and the dangerous threat that they posed to her. Bordering the hall were a number of casually scattered guards, some she recognised, others she did not. She counted them each in turn while taking in their positions as quickly as she could. She almost laughed as her natural, animalistic instinct to scout for impending danger took over. She was here for peace and reconciliation, not for a fight. But something about this picture did not add up. There were too many of them. Too many of the Volturi's most trusted and gifted guards present here tonight. An icy chill ran down Rosalie's spine as she saw Renata step out from behind Aro's throne. She was his personal bodyguard and one that was almost impossible to get through. Her ability to confuse the mind was of great use to Aro, and made him _almost_ untouchable. Renata fixed her gaze upon Rosalie, a dark smirk spoiling her smooth vampiric features. A beauty Rosalie may be, but she was not as strong as those with gifts. Easier to break. Pulling her gaze away from Renata, Rosalie turned just in time to catch Jane's small, taunting smile as she glided across the empty space to her brother's side.

"You've done well sister," Alec greeted her. His blood-red eyes locked intently upon Rosalie, but then, there was not a single pair of eyes able to resist her astonishing beauty, and this had not escaped Rosalie's attention. She shifted slightly, feeling every pair of eyes burning into her back, sides, face, hands every part of her rigid body. Jane's smile lingered behind Rosalie's eyes, antagonising her as was its intent, and she forced herself to draw in one long, deep breath to calm and compose herself. To her surprise, the breath caught in the back of her throat. The air was different here, laced with a delicious irony scent that delighted, tickled, burned and tortured the back of her throat. It was the lingering fragrance of human blood. Her eyes widened slightly and she swallowed hard in an attempt to wash away her nearly unbearable thirst. She quickly focused her wandering thoughts upon Carlisle, reminding herself of all the 'good' he had spent so many years teaching her. As she did so, she failed to notice the small flick of Aro's wrist that indicated it was time to move on. Felix broke away from his guarded position behind her to stand alongside Chelsea, Afton and Demitri, but not before subtly brushing himself against Rosalie's side. As he did so, she was quickly brought back to earth with a thud, her body stiffening instinctively. The room was eerily silent. Darting her eyes across the three thrones and their beholders, she realised they were still waiting for her to move. How long had she been standing here like a china doll for?

"Come." Caius instructed her impatiently, finally shattering the silence. He had no time to be waiting for their guest to decide of her own accord when to do as instructed. Rosalie gracefully brushed aside one stray strand of hair from her face, which gave her enough time to exhale the blood-laced air festering in her lungs. She would breathe to talk, but that was it, it would take all of her strength alone just to keep the temptation at bay. As she mustered all the courage within her, she strode into the centre of the hall, placing herself adjacent to the shaggy looking shape-shifter. There was a distant thudding that caught the attention of her pricked ears; a faint, fluttering heartbeat. The tiger was still alive ... just. Jane and Felix had had him for some time now, and it seemed they had failed to cater for his most basic human requirements; food, water and rest. Either they didn't care whether he lived or died, or they were unaware quite how human he was. To her surprise a smile lit up her eyes, though it didn't reach her lips. This would be their one fatal flaw. If Alice couldn't see her now, then the impending death of this stinking creature would clear Alice's sight, if they had the same effect on her visions as the wolves did. Then they would come for her, or they would await her return. But Rosalie knew that would depend entirely upon Aro's intentions for her tonight. Rosalie watched as Aro began making his way down the few steps that elevated him from the rest of the room, and she listened closely once more to each failing heartbeat, trying hard to determine quite how much longer the creature would be living for.

Unaware of her thoughts, Aro examined Rosalie's seemingly confident appearance; it intrigued him that one on death row as she was, seemed so calm and collected. But he had noticed her initial hesitation to enter. In an attempt to figure out their latest Cullen guest, he began to slowly circle around her, like a vulture would his prey. It seemed she was miles away, yet her eyes followed him intently. Marcus cleared his throat noisily before addressing the hall in his bored, dull tone. It was obvious that these games of Aro's did not amuse him.

"Let us get on with it. It seems to me this is not the one we wanted."

Rosalie focused warily upon Marcus, her eyes narrowing slightly. What did he mean the one they wanted? She knew they wanted Alice and Edward to join them, but Jane had made it crystal clear that it was Rosalie they had wanted to see presently. A small crease formed on her brow, she knew that her being here made no sense. The sooner they handed over her child, the sooner she would be able to leave ... and hunt. From the corner of her eye, Jane's small but swift movement towards Marcus caught her attention. Jane's cold exterior was emitting shards of annoyance towards him, though she remained naturally silent and still; she knew her place here. She was not one to make mistakes however, and the suggestion that she had clearly grated on her.

_Damn it!_ Rosalie clenched her fists into balls of granite at her sides, she had to focus! Her thirst was causing her mind to wonder all too frequently. She had to be on her guard here, regardless if their intentions towards her were pleasant or not. They were innately dangerous, vicious.

"I do not think she is the weakest, Aro. Maybe we should consider Carlisle's mate, Esme." Rosalie stiffened slightly, before quickly relaxing in an attempt not to draw any more attention to herself than was necessary. What did Esme have to do with her and Emmett wanting a child? Aro rolled his eyes dramatically before clasping his hands together and drawing them into his stone chest.

"I assure you both, she is the one." He spoke slowly, accentuating every word. His wide, devilish eyes darted back to Rosalie who was now standing deadly still before him, her hands twisted together in front of her. He was intimidating, frightening almost, but she couldn't allow that fear to control her. "Rosalie Cullen ..." he began.

"No. Hale."She corrected him in her frosty tone. Aro's eyes widened, but she could not read his expression, it was ... blank. She met his vacant gaze defiantly, challenging him. Several hushed gasps echoed against the walls and around her ears, informing her that a response such as hers was not the usual one. Aro held up one hand to silence the guard.

"I see. Hale it is." A small, wicked smile twisted his lips, finding amusement in her bravery. He tittered gently, tilting his head slightly in pretend contemplation. "You are hungry. When did you last feed?"

"Awhile ago," she answered bluntly after a few seconds of thoughtful silence. She didn't want to give him any further information he could use against her. But as he mentioned the one thing she was fighting to push to the back of her mind, venom flooded her pallet, seeping between her sharp teeth. Because of all the recent commotion, it had been nearly three weeks since she had fed last.

"Aaaah. Well, Signora _Hale ... _we can amend that_." _His eyes cut to Demitri who hovered patiently by the large doors Rosalie had entered through. Demitri bowed his head, clearly understanding something Rosalie had not. Her eyes darted frantically between them, searching for a meaning.

"But first," he held out his hand for hers, immediately drawing her attention back to him. "I believe we should get better acquainted, my dear."

Rosalie glared fiercely at his waiting hand, wondering if she should defy the closest thing to royalty she knew for the second time. Carlisle had told her enough over the years for her to know better than to touch Aro. With a single stroke, he would know everything. Everything she had ever thought ... he would know about her little 'incident' as Carlisle had called it.

"This may be our first _personal_ meeting Aro, but I know enough about you not to be fooled." Her eyes fell upon his still waiting hand before quickly casting her eyes away from him, not wanting for a single moment to perceive his reaction. "I think not."

After a moment of listening to his teeth grinding, she saw his hand retract.

"Hmmmm," he mused, clearly annoyed. But he was too educated, too sophisticated to allow her to see his irritation, though it burned behind his eyes. He swivelled to face Jane. "Jane, our guest needs a little encouragement."

"As you wish, master," Jane's smile widened along with her eyes. Panic hit faster than Rosalie could have thought possible, her knees nearly buckling under her. She could see the thrill Jane felt at being allowed to use her power to torture her once again, and that pain was not something she wanted to feel twice. It had been different before, she would take it again if it meant protecting Emmett, but he was not here now. Jane's torment was physical pain, but Rosalie had far too much emotional pain of her own without the need for an added battering from Jane. "Fine! Go ahead."

It surely couldn't do that much damage. Aro held up his hand to Jane, stopping her in her tracks. She exhaled loudly wanting him to hear her frustration. Rosalie didn't move, but allowed Aro to reach out for her tensed hand. Taking her left hand in his, he brushed his fingers over her palm. Marcus and Caius shifted forwards slightly in anticipation. His eyes glared into hers, she could see his pity for her, and it was a moment before he spoke again.

"Tale dispiacere nel vostro cuore – Such sorrow in your heart, my dear. So much ... hostility conflicted against so much love. Chelsea would certainly be in her element. But it seems you are here under false pretences..."

"What?" Her voice escaped panicked and breathy. "I am here to reconcile our coven's relationship ... for a ..."

"Child!" He laughed bitterly. "We could not allow that Rosalie. Oh Jane, Jane, you have been a naughty girl." He pretended to scold the smug looking Jane.

"No, you are not here for amends." He licked his lips, his eyes remaining focused upon Rosalie's confused and infuriated expression. "I was aware of your little, problem, with the humans Rosalie, but now I have _heard_ it through you too."

"You cannot be allowed to leave. You are a liability." Caius informed her.

"Certainly not, you have exposed us." Marcus agreed.

Rosalie bit her tongue but swallowed hard, the venom that had gathered in her pallet slid with ease down her long neck. Her eyes became suddenly wild, that savage beast Emmett had seen all those weeks ago returned to claw at her black irises. She fought hard to control her breathing, demanding it to stop completely, but with little success. It was giving her away too much. She had been a fool, believing Jane's web of twisted lies, been blinded by the prospect of her dreams at last coming true.

"Rosalie Hale," Aro spat out her name before stepping back to a safe distance, "Your family is a problem. We are fixing it." He waved to Felix, indicating that they were done. Panic struck once more and Rosalie felt her defences come crashing down.

"_What_? NO! You will not touch my family!" As she launched towards Aro, Felix intercepted her, sending them crashing to the ground with an almighty smash. Snarls ripped their way up through her as they proceeded with their deadly dance. Her hair flew majestically around her shoulders as she spun through the air in an attempt to escape him. But it was not long before Felix tangled her up in his arms. She fought to break free of him, her legs kicking wildly in his direction. Felix barely moved despite her rapid and sharp movements, he was once again too strong for her, but this time she was not going to surrender so easily.

"It is futile to resist." Caius said coldly before looking to Aro, "Ottengalo fatto."

"Yes, we shall. Alec, bring in the boy." Aro demanded, still unmoved from his prize position for the show unfolding before him. Rosalie was too distracted in her failing battle to see Alec disappear and return holding a small boy in his grasp. His short blond curls bounced around his ears, his cheeks flushed with fear, his little hands shaking uncontrollably.

"Take her to the cell. It is only curtsey we should allow our guest to eat in peace." Aro spoke again, more delightfully this time. How proud he was of himself. This would surely break her, and when Emmett arrived, as he would, he would surely want to remain with Rosalie. He would be a wonderful asset to the guard; his strength alone was impressive and could certainly match if not rival that of Felix's. If he had the two of them, maybe Alice, Isabella and Edward could be persuaded also. The others were unimportant really, disposable, as eventually Rosalie would be too. He sighed sadly, feeling a small twinge of sorrow for Carlisle, he was such an old friend to betray, but what must be done must be done.

A small cry landed upon Rosalie's ears, catching her attention and stopping her struggles. She froze. The scent of human blood flooded her nostrils, scorching the back of her throat, the sweet aroma nicking at both her self-control and her hungry desire. She was so thirsty now that the slightest breath of blood was enough to distract her completely. Her mouth that had opened in horror quickly locked itself shut, her eyes fluttering closed also; if she couldn't see him, then maybe he was not really there.

"Come along, Felix, Alec, put her in the cell. We have a tour group arriving shortly. I would like this to be dealt with by the time they are 'served'." Jane instructed, taking over for Aro who seemed to be busy analysing their captivating guest.

"NO!" Rosalie screamed, her cry shattering the sensitive ear drums around her. "PLEASE! DONT DO THIS," she pleaded, desperate to escape - screw her pride and reputation. She was well aware that being locked in a confined space with a small, defenceless human child ... well, it didn't bear thinking about.

Felix tightened his hold on her, lifting her from the floor completely. A second member of the guard that Rosalie didn't recognise flew forwards, locking her legs between his arms, preventing her mighty kicks. She screamed out for help, but no-one was coming. She fought them both, striking them in the chest and thighs with devastating blows from her fists, but all attempts to get free failed. Rosalie hadn't noticed Jane glide ahead of them and open a large, heavy cell door. And swiftly, with almost no effort at all, Felix sent her flying through the air. Her body collided with a thud against the hard wall of the cell. As she fell to the ground, Jane appeared in the open doorway.

"That's what you get for exposure. Just think; it could have been worse." Rosalie jumped to her feet flying towards Jane; she would kill her this time. But just before she reached the open doorway, Jane stepped aside as Felix pushed the small human child into the cell and slammed the door behind him. Instantly, Rosalie flew backwards, retracing her steps at twice the speed she had first run them. Her eyes searched frantically for an exit. There was none. The terrified child, who could have been no older than seven or eight screamed out, petrified. His fists fell weakly against the solid door, hammering away for freedom. He had seen Rosalie's supernatural speed and hell only knows what else he had seen here. Whoever he had come with was not likely to still be alive. They were not going to come for him, cradle him in their arms and leave for a better life. No. They would be drained of life, tortured or worse. Rosalie pressed her body into the wall, trying desperately to push through it to freedom. Her clawed hands reached out from her sides, gripping the stone and marble wall. Her nails scraped away loose chippings as she tried to dig her way out. Her eyes locked on the child. His blood rushed through his veins; she could see, hear it. The air quickly filled with the delicious odour that tempted her to the point of insanity. The pain of desire was hard to resist, her face scrunched up trying with all her might to fight the overwhelming urge to kill. If she hadn't been so hungry, this would have been a breeze. With every movement the small boy made, Rosalie pushed harder against the wall. Her desire, the thoughts running through her head both horrified and delighted her. Trying to resist breathing, she spoke sharply.

"Please. Stop moving." The child failed to respond and forced her to raise her voice even more.

"STOP MOVING! NOW!" She hated to speak to a frightened child in such a manner, but if it would save his life, it was certainly forgivable. His blood appealed to her ... very much so. The cell was dark and though she could see perfectly, it became clear that the child was blinded. She quickly immobilised herself knowing the less she moved the more she could focus on her options.

Options ... what dammed options?

He lived or died and she would be the one to make that decision, and she would have to make it soon. It would be her first taste of human blood, her first taste of delectable, mouth-watering warm blood. It would be over quickly, she wouldn't want him to suffer. She allowed every muscle in her body to relax as she dropped nimbly from the wall she had half climbed. She took a dainty step towards the boy, who was still crying out for help. She was inches behind him and he had no idea. No idea what a dangerous predator she was ... or did he? Either way he was now oblivious to her wide, hungry eyes that searched the map of veins in his neck.

"MOMMY!" He cried out suddenly. The air in her lungs felt as though it was punched out of her, of all the things he could have cried out, he chose the one that would save his life. At least for a little while. He was someone's son, someone's grandson, brother, cousin. Humanity flooded back to her, Carlisle and Emmett flooded back to her. They would be so ashamed if she had allowed herself to be so weak. The boy spun around as her ice cold breath collided with his warm neck. She watched his eyes search the darkness for a culprit. But his human eyes only played tricks on him, tiny specks of light flashed here and there before disappearing into nothing. Rosalie's face was etched with torment, and slowly, she took several steps back, her fists clenched, her jaw locked and her eyes tightly shut. The further away she got, the easier it became to ignore him. But she wouldn't be able to completely ... not for any length of time.

Gradually her self-control returned, but it was painful and not without great difficulty. Feeling the small security the wall was able to offer her, she slid silently against it to the floor. She tucked herself into the furthest corner from the young boy, covering her mouth and nose in a desperate attempt to keep out the bloody, iron-like smell that poisoned the air around her. Every inch of her wanted to surrender to her burning desire to kill. But she fought relentlessly against it. She was stronger than this, Carlisle had taught her better than this. Closing her eyes she filled her memory with images of Emmett. Of anything that would keep her distracted. They would be coming. She knew they would.

... ... ...

Hours passed before the young boy became too exhausted to continue his useless attempts to break out, and he fell to the floor sobbing. Rosalie refused to let herself see him, but she could hear his small body curling up into a ball at the foot of the door. As dangerous as she was to him, she was grateful that he was in here and not out there with them. He would have a better chance of survival with her. At least, he would survive longer.

_Wow, this was a stressful chapter to write! I certainly hope it was more enjoyable to read! – let me know what you think if you have a moment, a big thanks in advance to those of you who review._


	10. What fools these mortals be

_Hey there once again! I'm so, so sorry this has taken me so long to update, with illness, family visits and a gas leak at my house it's been a little hectic! I won't leave it so long again, forgive me! Hope you enjoy and I look forward to hearing your reactions!_

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

What fools these mortals be

It had been decided. The plan chosen. They were going to Volterra and they would fight for Rosalie. But their fight would be blind as Alice could not foresee any consequences of their decisions, or if Rosalie was even still alive. But they had to try, if not for themselves then for Emmett. And they would ... Now. The Cullen house was far from silent, despite the heavy weight that that pressed down upon their shoulders.

"Our residence is all arranged," Alice announced to the chaotic group before her as she waltzed into the large garage, a serious edge to her wind-chime voice. "I booked it two nights ago."

Esme and Carlisle flittered around the car-filled garage packing small suitcases into the back of Emmett's Jeep. Edward followed closely behind, placing Carlisle's old maps and notes of Volterra inside the jeep.

"Alice, are you sure we are going to need these?" Esme placed her hands on her hips, remaining unconvinced at her daughter's insistence on packing the cases.

"I am _very_ sure. Trust me." She smiled innocently, a glint in her golden eyes as she pranced across the garage, spinning between the cars and busy bodies as though she were in a performance of Swan Lake, and gliding to a halt at Esme's side.

"Alright, if you say so ..." Esme surrendered unwillingly. A subtle smile crept onto Carlisle's features as he placed one arm around his wife's waist, pulling her close.

"Trust her, love," he whispered into her ear before kissing her on the cheek and turning towards the heavy footsteps that marched towards them. "Emmett, are you ready?"

As he entered the garage, Emmett stared harshly at the floor, his brow creased in thought and only nodding once in response. He had more on his mind than just getting Rosalie back, but it was not something he could share and he knew he couldn't officially make any decisions yet; he knew Alice too well. Sensing something was wrong, Alice piped up in an attempt to refocus the family, her eyes still roaming over Emmett concernedly.

"Jasper ... tickets?" As she spoke, her smile wobbled and faded. Images danced tauntingly across her sight, images she had not expected. Jasper's expression tensed, taking in his wife's suddenly erratic emotions. He slipped his hand around hers, brandishing the other in the air.

"Here." With a single flick of his wrist, his wide eyes not leaving Alice, he sent them spiralling through the air and into Emmett's snapping hand. "Passports too."

After a quick examination of the passports and plane details, Emmett snapped his head up suddenly aware of the deadly silence that had fallen over them. His eyes rapidly scanned Carlisle, Esme and Edward who all seemed to be focusing intently upon his sister.

"Alice? What is it?" Bella broke the silence as she flew into the garage, Renesmee tucked tightly under her arm. In her free hand she grasped a pink satchel containing Renesmee's belongings in preparation for her stay with Jacob. She looked to Alice, seeing her eyes were glazed over as they shifted through her vision; it was clear to the others that this one had snuck up on her, surprised her. Jasper smiled briefly as he felt Alice's emotions lift. Though it only lasted for a moment before she filled him with dread, and his smile instantly vanished. One further moment of apprehension and silence passed before Alice finally gasped, her dainty head snapping towards Emmett.

"I can see her! I saw Rosalie!" At first she sounded positive, and the tense bodies in the room relaxed, all but Emmett's. "I ... I don't understand why now and not before, but I see her."

"Well, that has to be good, right honey?" Esme glanced up to Carlisle before turning back to Alice for reassurance, "Right Alice? She is okay, isn't she?"

Jasper's eyes remained intensely locked upon Alice, his grip tightened around her hand. From the corner of her eye, Esme saw Edward's grimace as he turned to face Bella and Renesmee, wishing he had not been listening to Alice's thoughts. From behind the jeep, suddenly irritated by their shared and currently private knowledge, Emmett took a step towards Alice.

"What? What is it?" he demanded, just managing to hold back the growl forming in his chest. Alice stayed silent for a moment, wondering if he could handle her news, but her face spoke a thousand words and gave her away. A thousand words Emmett was sure he did not want to hear, but any news of Rosalie had to be better than none. Alice glided slowly through the garage to stand before Emmett, gathering her strength on the way to give him the bad news ... Maybe she should start with the good? Yes.

"She's alive Emmett," she said softly, taking a deep breath to prepare herself for whatever reaction her brother would have to this. "But she's in bad shape. I've seen what she's going to do and she doesn't have a lot of time. I'm sorry Emmett." She reached out an elegant hand towards him, allowing it to fall to her side once Emmett ignored it.

"Alice, tell us what you saw," Carlisle encouraged, closely focusing upon Emmett's clenched jaw, wide eyes and angry fists. This reaction was unusual, and Carlisle couldn't help but wonder if Emmett was in there at all? Emmett was always so calm, but having Rosalie gone was evident to him just how much his son needed her. Jasper tilted his head forwards, trying desperately to aid Emmett in dampening the furious flames now raging inside him.

"She's going to feed ... on a human child." Her voice was no more than a whisper as collective gasps drowned it out. Emmett remained statue like, not even a flinch at what Alice had said. He knew Rosalie wouldn't do that. If there was one thing he was certain of it was that she would never harm a human child. Though if she would, if Alice was right, then what ever those Volturi scum were doing to her was severe, and she _needed_ him.

"Then she needs us. We have to move quickly." There was an unquestionable authority in Carlisle's voice that no-one was prepared to disobey. What had not been packed would remain behind and in a flash they were all gathered around the Jeep, all but Bella.

"Wait! I have Renesmee, I'll take her to Jacob now ..." No sooner had she spoken, did the garage fill with the putrid scent of wet dog and earth.

"My ears are burning," Jacob said confidently, striding into the garage towards Bella and Renesmee. "What's going on?"

Edward flittered instinctively back to Bella's side, nodding towards Jacob to greet him.

"We have had ..." he began to explain to Jacob, but was cut short as Bella began scolding him.

"Where have you been? It's been two weeks since you were here last. Nessie has missed you which annoys me enough as it is, but we could have done with some of your help. Rosalie's gone!"

"What? Blondie?" He opened out his arms as Renesmee wiggled free of Bella's grasp and charged at full speed towards him. Gathering her up into his arms, he kissed her cheek as she giggled and touched his nose, showing him the snippets of conversations she had heard and understood over the past week or so.

"_Rosalie_." Emmett growled, emphasising every letter of her name; he wasn't in the mood for Jacob's taunting names today. Turning swiftly, surprised by the harsh tone of the usually chilled out Emmett, Jacob's eyes explored his clenched fists, tense torso and almost bared teeth. Renesmee cleared her throat, clearly uncomfortable by the awkward silence that followed. She reached out once more to touch Jacob. She showed him her favourite memory of Emmett smiling and throwing her in the air, wanting to reassure Jacob that her favourite uncle was not so scary looking all the time. Jacob hurriedly turned away from Emmett, not wanting to aggravate him any further. The huge one was alright really.

"Thanks Ness. When did all this happen?" he questioned, looking less than surprised.

"She's been gone for about ten days," Edward answered. Bella examined him for a moment before speaking again, moving closer in order to challenge him. Jacob eyed her warily before addressing the doctor who was now hovering behind them.

"So what's taking you so long to go get her then?" Jacob accused, taking Bella by surprise. Jacob and Rosalie never saw eye to eye, and most likely never would. But he knew that they would want her back and it startled him that they were still here.

"We weren't sure where she was at first, then we couldn't see her, didn't know who she was with, if she had gone off on her own, etcetera, etcetera. Carlisle has been working out a plan that won't get us all killed!" Bella answered defensively for Carlisle. Her eyes narrowed, glaring into Jacob's dark brown eyes inquisitively, her tone harshening. "You know about this, don't you?"

Emmett instantly stopped fiddling with the tickets, ignored Carlisle's warning call and marched over to Jacob. Renesmee wined quietly once, she hated to see them fighting.

"Wait ... what? You knew and you did nothing?" Emmett scowled, now face to face with Jacob before he had had the chance to blink. They had fought together, beside each other, yet Jacob didn't bother to check everything was fine under such strange circumstances?

"Emmett." Carlisle and Esme called out in unison, they had both seen the anger in Emmett that was about to boil over.

"No. Well, yes. Look, we found some freaky scents around the mountains. We've been tracking them for a while, but we lost them. There were several different scents that seemed to travel together... one of them I recognised." His eyes fell upon Emmett again. "Sorry man, we assumed you knew them as we smelt Rosalie. We stopped searching after that, but have been on guard. Last we knew they were near Canada."

"She is definitely in Volterra. I saw it," Alice confirmed as she slid into the Jeep, closely followed by Jasper.

"It's those Volturi scum," Emmett informed Jacob, calming down quickly and taking a step backwards. "We're about to go get her back."

"Can you take Nessie? We can't put her in danger too." Bella reached out and tangled a curl of her daughter's hair around her finger.

"Yeah, sure thing. How long will you be gone?" Jacob wrapped his huge arms tighter around Renesmee as she tried to leap back to Bella, perfectly aware now that they were leaving without her. And she wanted it known that that was unacceptable on her terms.

"Not sure," Edward said, planting a kiss on his daughter's forehead. "Be good."

"However long it takes," Bella said unhelpfully before also kissing her daughter goodbye, holding her for a moment longer than Edward had. She was hoping that this wouldn't be the last time she would see her beautiful daughter. She watched Renesmee give in her fight and cuddle into Jacob's warm chest before sliding into her place in the Jeep.

"Which if I get my way, won't be long." Emmett struck his hand across Jacob's back in a friendly manner before turning and heading out of the garage. "See you shrimp," he called back to Renesmee.

"Bye bye monkey!" Renesmee giggled contently, snuggling into the warmth of Jacob's chest. There were several muted chimes of laughter before their attention quickly returned to Italy.

"Carlisle, have you thought this through properly? We can't stay in Volterra," Edward mused and it was Alice who responded.

"We won't be staying in Volterra, silly. We're going to La Chiostra. It's a tiny town just outside the city. If we are being watched out for, then they won't look there, it's too far out."

"Alice is right, they would expect us to be closer. Most likely inside the City." Carlisle shifted, allowing Esme to nimbly climb into the jeep before him. She paused, seeing Emmett slinking silently away from them.

"Where do you think you're going? We have to move!" He stopped and turned back towards the overcrowded garage. He knew that had to leave, they'd wasted plenty of time already. He wanted to get to Italy more desperately than any of them, but seeing Renesmee had reminded him of the two people they had forgotten about. The two people he _needed _to see first.

"Erica needs to know what's going on. Jacob, watch her too if you can?" Jacob nodded in agreement and Emmett began to head towards the cottage Erica and Alyan were residing in. He scoffed in amusement as he listened to Bella try to explain who Erica was to Jacob. He had seen Alice trying hard to focus on Rosalie and knew that now would be his only moment to escape her sight. As he leaped over the white picket fence, a small voice greeted him.

"HEY! I had begun to wonder where everyone had got to. That wife of yours still hasn't seen the little one, and we have to get moving on the paperwork and lawyers, you know how they can be! You're son is fine, but I on the other hand really have to get away and start my life again," Erica babbled to him while attempting to wrap him into an embrace. He took in one, deep breath and straightened himself up.

"Thanks Erica. Sorry, there's been ... complications. We still want this." Good, not a quiver in his voice. All these years of hiding who they really were was paying off finally.

"Complications? I don't understand. You still want to adopt him, don't you?" Erica whipped her head around in horror. She sounded a little panicked and in true Emmett form, it amused him.

"Sure we do! Rose has just been busy working abroad for a few weeks. The rabble and I are flying out to see her today. Would be nice if you ... joined us?" From the deep pockets of his jeans he produced two folded pieces of flimsy card and waved the tickets in the air towards her.

"You have to be kidding me ... You're not are you? Argh! I mean, well, if it means finally getting to meet the woman who saved me, sure thing!" She snatched the tickets from Emmett's hands, jumping up and down in excitement before her expression turned serious. "I can't pay for these."

"No need, it's sorted." He smiled, impressed at his own acting skills after hearing the lie she believed from her lips. He needed to be chirpy to get her onside, but then she believed him so easily and was already heading back inside to pack. She trusted Emmett as she trusted the others; foolish as that decision may be. Emmett followed closely behind, spying the crib on the sofa and bent over it to see the waking Alyan.

"You'll be high in the sky a few hours after us, couldn't get you on the same flight, sorry. But when you arrive I'll meet you, so don't panic!" he taunted her, allowing Alyan to wrap a tiny finger around his much larger thumb.

"Pah! This girl doesn't do panic. This will be awesome. Where are we headed, is it hot? Oh, I love the sun!" She mused for a moment before continuing. "It will be Alyan's first official taste of sun, you know. It's not too warm around here ..."

Erica continued to ramble at Emmett for the next five minutes before he was able to hold and say goodbye to Alyan. As he handed the gurgling baby back to Erica, he assured her once more that he would be there to meet her. Remembering Alice, he quickly scrambled his thoughts, he couldn't officially decide to meet Erica as he knew Alice would see his decision and stop him, eventually. Maybe she had already seen, no surely not? For now he could only hope she was too preoccupied trying to focus on Rosalie to notice his decisions. It hurt that he was doing this secretly from the family, but they had held him up long enough now. And he wanted, no, needed her back.

"Forgive me," he whispered softly into Alyan's ear before swiftly exiting the cottage and heading back to the revving engines on the driveway.

... ... ...

They had timed their flights well and it was nightfall by the time they landed in Italy. With the sunny climate they would only be able to move around at night if they didn't want to risk being seen; something Carlisle had insisted on. On the white washed stone porch, Jasper sat patiently with Alice while she tried with everything she had to see more of Rosalie, and to understand why she could see her now and not before. The only time Jasper spoke was to comfort Alice, telling her that she was in no way to blame for what was happening, despite her best efforts to find a reason. Inside the small white house, Bella and Edward huddled together on the wicker couch, convincing each other that leaving Renesmee with Jacob had been the safest and wisest option. Upstairs, Emmett paced back and forth along the tiny corridor that almost made his large physique look more like a giant squeezing down an ant hole. Carlisle and Esme were finalising their attack plan in the bedroom, desperate to make sure that nothing was going to go wrong. If they could break into the fortress undetected, then they were going to have a better chance of all getting out alive. Dragging his feet to a halt, Emmett watched as Carlisle tenderly kissed Esme in a reassuring and loving nature. He felt his heart sink, crush even. He had never been away from Rosalie for this long and if they hadn't spent so long trying to figure out a way to get her out humanely, then he could have been holding his wife now too.

"We should hunt soon. Gather as much strength as we can if this turns nasty," Carlisle decided, turning to Emmett. "Keep it together son, we're close now."

As reassuring as that was to Emmett, he was chomping at the bit to put their plan into action. _His_ plan into action.

"Emmett, take Esme and the others out to hunt with you. I'm going to go with Edward to scout the area around Volterra, see if we can get some idea of what's going on." He noticed the frown form between Emmett's brow; he would never agree to them going without him lightly. But Carlisle didn't want to risk Emmett losing focus and acting irrationally if they were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Jane, or even Rosalie. "Please Emmett, the sooner we move the sooner Rosalie will be back with us."

Emmett hovered a moment longer, before deciding that arguing against this would only delay them once again. Without another word he turned and headed down the old stairs towards the front door, waving to Bella as he reached the small, wooden door frame where Alice appeared before him.

"Hey, what's the final plan?" Alice asked as she pranced after Emmett and back onto the porch.

"From what I heard were goin' in sewer style."

"Erm, what?" she choked out, stopping dead in her tracks. "I'm all for this mission impossible rescue, but _not_ via the sewers." She was right, if they were seen, this would be mission impossible. They didn't have the aid of the wolves now.

"Woah, Rosalie moment!" Emmett beamed at her with a wide, childish grin. It was definitely something that Rosalie would have protested about. He had even subconsciously prepared himself to defend and then reason with her, but Alice was not Rosalie.

"We will see about that. I have other ideas." She flashed him a mischievous grin as she darted around him.

"Don't doubt that you do," he mumbled despairingly, throwing a few vicious punches into an invisible enemy.

"We'll be back soon, an hour at most which gives you an hour to hunt. Then we meet back here ... and we move," Carlisle instructed with that same stern authority in his voice they had heard at the house. He waited for everyone to agree before turning to Edward and disappearing into the shadows of the night. After watching them go, the remaining family members headed in the opposite direction. They did need to hunt, if only to build their strength for a fight. Secretly, they were all hoping for at least some fighting, to shake the Volturi up inside their own walls; though they each knew that that would be signing their own death warrants. It wasn't long before they were deep into the Italian forest, scouting for whatever delights lurked here. The deadliest predators stalked and ran silently towards their unsuspecting pray, hungry for the kill. Emmett glanced around, making sure that everyone was intently focused upon the hunt, too focused to notice him slip away. Seeing that they were, he swiftly changed course. But as he did Alice caught hold of his arm, not harshly, but applying just enough pressure to stop his advances. A little startled he skidded to a halt, turning to her cautiously.

"What you're planning ... please don't. It won't save her Em, believe me I've seen. For _my_ sake I would rather you went along with us." Her innocent eyes locked with his.

"'Course I'm with you," he said casually, brushing her off. She didn't know already, surely.

"Emmett! Listen to me. If you do this, I understand ... but it's a huge risk. Bigger than you know." She spoke softly, quietly, reflectively. Her lips pressed tightly together and her eyes fell to the floor, her arm dropping down with them. He hunched down slightly in order to see her small blinks that were holding back non-existent tears. How he hated to hurt her this way. But as protective and loyal as he was to his family, Rosalie would always come first. He mused for another moment, wondering if he should let Alice in, or continue to play the fool. It wasn't long before he decided the fool would be easier on them all.

"Chill, the Italian air's going to your head!" he chuckled unconvincingly. There was no doubt about it, Alice knew. But he wasn't going to let that stop him this time, Rosalie was so close now. He was not going to let her slip away again. Alice looked up to him, the moon illuminating her sad features. Emmett watched her apprehensively, wondering why there was such sorrow in her eyes.

"It is your decision. You live with the consequences." Before he had time to even take in what she had said, she was gone. Glancing around, he realised he was finally alone. Absentmindedly he ran his hands through his hair before folding his arms across his chest. He was alone to make the biggest decision of his existence; to go or to stay, something that would change the course of their entire existence. He stared at the dust tracks Alice had left, his next move would either be as she had asked of him, or would mean facing whatever the consequences might be she had mentioned. He breathed in deeply, slowly and then sighed heavily. His decision had been made.

... ... ...

"There you are! Long time no see, but then it's only really been, what? A few hours? That was one heck of a long flight, but Italy hey, I approve. I certainly, one hundred percent approve." Erica greeted Emmett with another attempted hug before her small arms gave in quickly. "Can you take these? My arms are just jelly after that flight. Alyan's asleep thankfully."

Emmett's eyes darted to the small baby carrier at Erica's side as he took the large suitcases from her. His eyes narrowed as guilt finally began to stab at him. Erica was innocent, so was Alyan. His son. But Rosalie was his wife and he would lay his life down to save her.

"Ready?" he asked eventually as he turned to see Erica already heading out of the airport. He chuckled lightly as he picked up Alyan's carrier and headed out after her.

"Where are we going then? I'm surprised Rosalie isn't here." Erica didn't look to Emmett, but the accusation was evident in her voice. He had been fobbing her off for weeks now and was running out of lies to tell her about Rosalie's absence.

"She's really busy ... and sorry ..." He began to think of another excuse but was quickly interrupted.

"It's fine, I understand, but the longer I have Alyan ... the harder it will be to give him to you. I need her to agree to the adoption so I can move on, you know?" She brushed her fragile human hand through her hair as her sad eyes stared into Emmett's.

"I know." He held out one muscular arm and instantly a cab pulled up beside them. "You'll be glad to know we are heading to see her right now."

Erica nodded delightfully and leaped into the car as the driver filled the boot with her things. Emmett placed Alyan carefully into the seat beside Erica but instead of pulling away, he breathed in his sweet, innocent scent of blood and the knife of guilt twisted in the wound he alone had created. Erica would have no clue what was to await her, what peril he was leading her to. She didn't deserve this. Neither of them did. All Erica would have to do was tell the Volturi what Carlisle had made her believe, that Rosalie was innocent. And they could leave. All of them.

But there was one niggling question in the back of Emmett's mind that refused to calm, like he had forgotten something really important, and he was right. Aro.


	11. So wise so young, they say do never live

_Hey everyone! Hope you are all good, just a quick warning that this chapter does contain something that you may not all approve of – there is a fairly disturbing theme, even though I have not gone into great detail, you still get the idea. Sorry if you don't like, but it is the story! x_

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

_So wise so young, they say do never live long_

She had not moved. Neither had he. It would only take a second and no longer; one second to destroy everything she had spent a lifetime and longer to build. One slip, one mistake and everything would end.

The large, empty dungeon was silent and had been for some time now. Rosalie had no idea quite how long she had been locked away in here, she only knew it would be a while longer. Her slender body that still pressed against the wall had finally begun to stop trembling. One long arm was stretched out, grasping onto the crumbling mortar and holding her in her place. The other grasped tightly around her nose and lips that were pressed firmly together into a hard, white line; it was her only weak defence against the delicious aroma emitting from the human. Her brow was creased, furrowing down towards her tightly closed eyes. She had not dared to look, to breathe or to move. If she did she could not guarantee that he would live. The boy had moved intermittently; his human needs almost forcing her to lose control several times. Rosalie had spent hours lost amongst her thoughts, envisioning tall, silent, ice-cold glaziers that stood solidly in their snowy beds. The serenity they offered her was of some comfort in dulling her wild, animalistic thirst, while the calm winds blew aimlessly over them. Between those calming visions and dragging hours and hours, she had plotted several ways she could try to escape. Though with each passing minute that flew away from her she knew they had been wasted. There would be no escape, not this time. This place was built to keep her kind in; wishing and willing the solid walls surrounding her to fall at her command was proving ineffective. She only prayed her restraint would remain as strong as these prison cages. And how exactly was she planning to get past the Volturi guard with her supernatural strength so diminished now from hunger? Simple. She wasn't.

With her eyes still tightly closed, she wondered how long it had been since she had last moved. It had, without a doubt, been too long. Maybe the human had forgotten she was here at all?

'_Doubtful,'_ she thought. After what she was positive he had seen, it was not something that was likely to slip form the mind, even one as youthful and forgetful as that of a human child. 'C_hild, he is only a child.'_

The boy huddled into the corner of the cold, damp room as he continued sobbing for his mother, for anyone that would offer him safety, security and sanity. As she listened to his unstable breaths and fast beating heart, she forced herself to open her eyes. As they did, she instantly homed in on his position. At the sight of him, her throat began to sting. Is this what Aro wanted from her? To see her break the one rule the Cullens lived by? She would not let them win. Quickly, she locked her teeth together; they could do no harm that way. She waited for what seemed a lifetime, waiting for her desperate desire for his blood to burn out, which eventually she knew it would. She had to talk to him, no, needed to talk to him. After all, he was frightened and alone. Surely he would need someone ... or something. A few breaths were all she would need to speak. Her hand fell from its safe haven around her perfect features, and slowly, cautiously, she sucked in the polluted air. It was something she instantly regretted as in return for her carefulness, she received only scorching torture at the back of her throat. Her body convulsed at the pain as she fought hard against her muscles that tried with all their might to get her to charge at him. Another moment passed before she was able to stabilise herself and allow her body to relax slightly.

"Please, forgive me. I will stay here if you like. I won't move," she forced out the quivering words as she allowed her body to recoil again. "I know you're scared ... I am too ... I promise I won't harm you."

That said, she waited for a response that never came. Her fists clenched into tiny balls at her sides as the human shuffled closer towards the tightly bolted door. A tiny smile pulled at the corners of her lips, _'you're safer in here with me than out there with them,' _she thought.

The only thing that would await him behind that door was death. Death! She almost laughed again. That was not a term that she often associated with herself, well, not since she had been on the balcony with Emmett all those weeks ago. It was certainly ironic that all this had started from that one night and her wish to be alone to die. But now as she stood here, almost alone, and without her soulmate and family to guide her, she had never wanted to live more than she did now. She knew that Aro having knowledge of her incident with the humans would mean she would die. That he would take great delight in killing her ... but surely he would have got that over with by now. So what? Torment, torture and starvation ... was this her punishment instead? As she thought of many other ways she would prefer this existence to end, she could not help but let her thoughts turn to her family. If she was to die here, then her only regret would be not having the chance to say sorry to Emmett and to her family. All the years she had made life difficult for them, particularly after the arrival of Bella_, _she had only wanted them to feel the smallest pinch of pain that she felt constantly at being forced into this life. Then, maybe then, they would understand. But mostly she desired for one moment with her husband; she need to thank Emmett for his patience, love and undying support. If it wasn't for him being in her life, then maybe she would not still be in existence now. A heavy sigh escaped her sorrowful lips, she could have sworn for a moment she had seen Emmett standing before her. But as she blinked away the collecting venom in her eyes, he was gone, a heavy and pressing atmosphere taking his place. Well, if she couldn't spend her last moments with them ... then this human would have to do. The haunting silence that had fallen upon them once again made it all the more difficult to curb her desire. She spent a moment grinding her teeth as her dark and dangerous eyes fell back upon the boy, while she gradually built the strength to speak again to him. She would not die ignored.

"Look, I just need to know that you are alright ..." She waited again, her impatience flaring up at the non-responsive heap of human before her. Okay, that was a little harsh. But the yearning for his fresh blood was becoming gradually harder to ignore with his silence.

"Io non ti capisco," came the small, feeble voice that finally broke the silence. Rosalie stumbled out of her thoughts of hunting, surprised that he had finally responded to her. Thoughtlessly she gasped in astonishment, filling her lungs with the blood laced air.

'_Fool!'_ she thought. She HAD to be more careful than that. Her lips quivered as she hurriedly forced the air back out of her lungs again.

"You don't speak English, do you?" She questioned breathlessly.

"I speak little. Mamma teach me some." He answered again to Rosalie's delight. Each word he spoke made him less her prey and more ... well, human. She quickly drew in a tiny amount of oxygen.

"You aren't hurt?"

"No. I am not hurt," he repeated. "I am cold, hungry ... sad."

"I can't help you with the cold or the hunger, but maybe I can make you happy again?" she questioned genuinely. Her only dealing with children had been with Renesmee, and she was certainly not your average child. She watched for a moment, intrigued as they boy's eyes searched the darkness for her. He had quietly shuffled around to try and face her rather than the dull looking door.

"Let me see ... you are so young and already speaking two languages." She smiled slightly as she ran one hand though her knotted hair, happy that her compliment seemed adequate to please him. "Your mother must be proud of you."

"Mamma..." his voice whimpered in a whisper back to her. "She is ... gon... she dea ..." There was no need for that sentence to be finished, Rosalie understood perfectly.

"I'm sorry, er ... erm ... I'm sorry, I don't know your name. Qual è ... il tuo ... nome?" Carlisle was useful for many things, including acting as her personal Italian dictionary.

"Arturo," his voice whispered amongst the sobs that caused his chest to jolt erratically.

"I'm Rosalie. Arturo, these people ..." she began, only to have her quickly concocted lie be interrupted.

"VAMPIRE!" the boy cried out as tears streamed down his cheeks. He sniffled and wiped one arm across his nose to catch the escaping tears. "Evil! Monsters!"

"No!" Rosalie exclaimed defensively. "Not all of them."

"You," he reached out one finger to point towards Rosalie. "You different. I see it." He replied with a sudden and rather surprising confidence in her.

"How do you know I am different?" She took one careful step forwards, closing the gap between them.

"I just see. You don't have scary eyes, but you are fast. That I saw, lady." Rosalie laughed uncontrollably as he called her lady; she was no 'lady' now. But the desire to feed from him had faded, just as she knew it would.

"Oh, right," She paused to muse over the intelligence of this young boy. "Are you not scared anymore Arturo? Hai paura?"

"Sì. Yes, I am," he recalled after a moment of thoughtful silence.

"I won't hurt you. I'm not like the others ... you ... you kno ... you know that ..." She attempted to reassure him, but as he had jumped to his feet from the cold, hard floor he had caught his finger on a lone nail that stuck out from the wall.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed, quickly wrapping his tiny fingers around the bleeding cut. Rosalie's body became suddenly rigid as she swallowed fiercely, biting her sharp teeth into her tongue. Her eyes widened as desire throbbed in her chest, her heart and her head.

"Here. Quickly!" she called to the boy as she ripped away the pocket from her jeans, holding it out to him. Her other hand returned to her mouth and nose to guard. With a swish of her head, she turned away from him, dropping the fabric to the floor and returned to pressing her body against the wall. She heard the boy scramble forwards, take the jean pocket and place it over his finger. He breathed loudly in confusion and worry. He knew what she was, but clearly he didn't know what being a vampire meant, especially one as hungry as she. It was only small a small cut, there was not much blood. Emmett, think of Emmett ... his huge arms holding her tightly, keeping her safe. Loving her ... but panic took over. She cried out knowing she would not last long. Not with the fresh scent of blood escaping into the air.

"Rosalie! I have to say I'm shocked. He is still alive," Felix said flabbergasted, the smell of blood had drawn him in from his guarding position behind the door. Rosalie swirled back around, her eyes wide revealing her terror. She had been so busy focusing on the blood that she had been caught off guard and not even heard Felix enter. She fought to steady herself, swallowing random breaths as her whirling mind became even more flustered. Felix ran his crimson eyes over her shaking body, the hand that seemed glued to her mouth, her wild blond hair that lay untidily over her shoulders. It didn't take him long to examine the human and smell the blood.

"Luckily, I have fed," he said darkly, returning his gaze to Rosalie who was crouched in position for attack. He saw the flash of wildness in her eyes before she lunged towards the boy. Without hesitation Felix dashed at twice her speed to intercept her advances. Wrapping his arms tightly around her middle he held her as the boy cried out in fear.

"Let me go!" Rosalie screamed at him, lashing her wrists into his arms before they clawed at the empty space between her and the human.

"Not yet," he answered calmly, ignoring her deep rumble of growls that rocketed out from her chest. He swiftly leant back to avoid her snapping teeth that reached for his throat. "Calm it Rosalie."

"I need it, I need ..." It was in that moment that she caught sight of herself in the reflection of the boys wet eyes. Although the unbearable burn in her throat continued, she allowed her arms to fall, her head to bow and her eyes to flutter shut. She really was no better than the monsters he had spoken of earlier. Feeling her body go limp, Felix manoeuvred her body so that she was face to face with him. Still holding her tightly with one arm, he smoothed his free hand over her hair and flicked it over her shoulder.

"You know that is just what Aro wants Rosalie. He wants you to feed from it." He brought his head closer to hers, lifting her chin with his finger. Slowly, she opened her eyes once again to see his narrowed ones that stared intrusively at her lips. "I can help you."

As those words rang in her ears, she pushed herself away from his body, struggling as he refused to let her free.

"Help? You brought me here!" she accused while regaining her composure.

"For other reasons than Jane's and Aro's. Rosalie, has it escaped your attention how I feel for you?" His features softened as he drew her back into the mould of his body, bringing his head down to be level with hers.

"Don't even try it," she snarled.

"All you have to do is be with me and this can end. Aro won't have you killed if I say you want to be with me. If I were to tell him that you have seen the error of your ways." He ran one wondering finger along the curves of her cheek bones, quickly pulling it away as she snapped her teeth at it.

"I thought you didn't give second chances," she spat.

"We don't. But as you said before, you haven't had a first chance yet." He waited patiently as she mused over his comments, an evil grin painting itself into his features. He did want her, but even better, he wanted to see Emmett's face when he knew he had lost her. Now was a good-a-time as any, their protection form Alice's gift had died, and that meant the Cullens would be on their way. Sooner or later the Volturi would face them, and he would enjoy it so much more if Rosalie was at his side instead of Emmett's. It was a moment before Rosalie spoke again.

"I don't want you, Felix. GET OUT!" she screeched, once again trying to squirm free from him. "I never will."

"Really? Well then, it seems there is no other choice..." he loosened his grasp around her, watching with delight as she stepped back, a confused expression dominating her features. If he couldn't have her then Emmett certainly wasn't going to get her back.

"What do you mean?" she interrupted cautiously.

"I mean ..." Felix shot across the cell, taking hold of the human boy and lifting him high into the air. "... this."

Rosalie froze as the boy's scream rang against the stone walls that kept her. Part of her wanted to get to him first, though the other more rational and human side knew she had to get him away from Felix.

"Don't," she warned. "Let him go. Now."

"You had your chance, Hale. Now you can find out if they will still love you after this." Without another word, Felix raked his nails across the human's wrists, swiftly followed by the trickle of blood. A deep groan left his lips as the scent filled his nostrils.

Rosalie didn't see him leave. She didn't see the boy fall to the floor, didn't hear his heart beat, the cry from his lips or the rush of air in and out of his lungs. All she saw was blood. Fresh, clean blood. She saw nothing else, not the walls, not the door or the ground beneath her running feet. She didn't feel her razor sharp teeth sink into the flesh of an arm. One second. One second was all it took. One second and no longer for all she had ever fought for to leave her.

Her thirst finally quenched. Her heart, at last, broken.

_A/n: Please don't shoot me! Reviews always help with writing *hint hint*!_


	12. That way madness lies

_OK, the song I imagine with the first part of this chapter is Black Velvet by Alannah Myles – kinky! Thank you as always to xelectrogirlx / housemate for checking over my grammar! Here's something with a little light relief that I think is needed after that last chapter – but there is still the element of danger! Enjoy!_

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

That way madness lies 

"You have to be kidding me!" Bella gasped, her mouth hanging open in sheer disbelief. Alice loved fashion; that was certainly not a personality trait of hers that was kept hidden. But this was ridiculous, ludicrous, absolutely out of the question.

"I'm with Bella," Esme choked out at a hurried pace. "Alice, we are here for Rosalie. Not for ... for this!" Esme waved her hand firmly at her reflection in the long mirror. She now understood why Alice had insisted on all the suitcases before they left. She should have put her foot down, she knew it. Always follow your instincts.

"Oh, come on! This is the best way to get past the guards undetected. I admit that this is also enjoyable for me, but of course Rosalie is my main concern." She tried hard to hide the small smile that was edging its way onto her lips.

"If there are any guards ... Oh, really? Then why are you not coming?" Bella snapped in annoyance, still gawping at the outfit Alice had forced her into. They had been more than happy to help any way they possibly could, until now; until they had actually been placed in Alice's dainty hands.

"You know I can't Bella, they might recognise me," Alice said in her tinkling voice, still adding the final details to Esme's disguise. "I've been here before, remember."

"Yes. I do. I was there too! They will recognise me, Alice." Bella's voice steadily rose almost to the point of screaming. Though, as her sharp eyes caught sight of her reflection once more, she tilted her head slightly to the side. She looked ... hot! The red heels Alice had picked were almost six inches high and they reflected the light naughtily. Up from her shoes, the leather trousers clung viciously to her curves, accentuating in all the right places. A small slice of marble white skin was visible before her skimpy leather top, with three large buckles up to where her bust began. Her long silky hair flowed effortlessly over her shoulders, whipping into perfect curls at the tips. Alice chuckled as she adjusted Bella's bust, only to receive a rather harsh slap on the wrist as she attempted to.

"I doubt that." Alice flashed Bella a quick look, a look that said '_Ha! Yeah right!'_ The last time the guards had seen Bella in Volterra she had been human, and Alice was certain they would not be the same guards that had visited them in Forks over Renesmee.

"Honestly Bella, think of Rosalie. And there is no way they will recognise you, not the guards anyway." Alice continued to dance between the two of them, fluffing hair here, pulling fabric there.

"We are all thinking of Rose, Alice. There must be another way ... I will beg if I must." Esme's voice quavered, as did her tiny frame. Her hands flew to the hem line of her ridiculously short, white leather skirt. It barely covered her bottom! Her eyes widened in astonishment as she leant over to examine the devastation that would be caused if she did not remain bolt upright. Her long, white boots, just a few inches less than Bella's, clung to her legs and thighs. A small piece of white cloth, that Alice had promised her was a top, covered nowhere near as much skin as she would have liked it to. More was revealed than any eyes, other than Carlisle's, should _ever_ be privy too. Her chestnut hair was pulled back into an elegant, yet mischievous tangle of curls. Whatever would Carlisle think!

"This is ridiculous. We should have gone with Emmett's plan of barging through and hoping for the best," Esme decided as she took the small white box Alice was handing to her.

"Quickly, we have to hurry. Red contacts, put them in. They will dissolve in a few hours with your venom so take the extra pairs too just in case." She paused and took one of Esme's reluctant hands. "This will work, at least, long enough to get Edward, Carlisle, Jazz and I through the front entrance."

Esme nodded begrudgingly as with one hand she flipped open the small box containing the lenses. In a flash, she had placed them against her irises. Blinking and almost unable to see, she peered into the mirror. She gasped as she took in the sight of her new luminous red eyes. She looked like one of _them_. Bella hesitated, watching Esme for a moment before quickly following her lead. Alice draped a long black velvet cloak over each of them before standing back to admire her handy work. Swiftly, Bella draped the cloak around her shoulders, securing it in place with the shimmery red ribbon across her collar bones. The material attached to the ribbon didn't quite meet across her chest, exposing her feminine charm. She scoffed softly, knowing that Alice would have deliberately fitted it that way.

"Perfect. Oh!" Alice opened out her hands in front of her. "Your crests, rings, anything that might give you away."

"Alice, please. Looking like this I would at least like a little piece of who I am to remain with me." Esme clung to her bracelet, as a child would their favourite toy, before realising that it really was necessary to surrender them.

"I will keep them safe. Promise." Bella and Esme exchanged an uncertain look before surrendering all of their personal and important possessions.

"Alice, where's Emmett?" Bella asked naively as she ran her hands over her thighs. "You said he would be back by now."

"Erm ..." Alice begun uncertainly.

"Alice, what is it?" Esme chimed as she put down the empty contact lens box.

"Yes Alice, why don't you tell them," Edward said as he and Carlisle both squeezed into the tiny room. "Oh. Wow. Bella, I ... well ... just, wow."

Bella chuckled briefly before taking Edward's hand and turning back to face her pixie-like sister-in-law who was subtly trying to escape the room unnoticed.

"Alice, please. You know something, I can tell. He didn't hunt elsewhere did he?" Bella pleaded, knowing she probably did not want to hear the answer. Carlisle had made his way to Esme's side, quickly kissing her on the lips and whispering something no-one heard into her ear.

"What's going on here?" he finally said, just about able to take his eyes off Esme. Quickly realising there was no way out, Alice flopped down onto the bed.

"He's gone," she sighed.

"Gone?" Bella and Esme asked in unison, their pitch slightly higher than normal. Carlisle didn't speak and simply remained silent, only moving to run his hands across his eyes despairingly.

"To get Rosalie," Edward answered quietly as he recalled hearing some of Emmett's thoughts.

"Alone! How could you let him go alone, Edward? Alice?" Esme cried out in annoyance, but more so in concern. She could see that Emmett was not likely to come out of this without either getting noticed, killing someone he shouldn't, or being killed himself.

"I didn't stop him Esme, because I was uncertain of the outcome. He kept changing his mind, he wouldn't settle on a decision," Alice answered a little defensively. She couldn't help but replay her visions of Emmett and the outcomes of his decisions. It hurt a little more every time she forced herself to see it, the one vision she wanted no-one else to know of.

"Alice was hoping he would change it again, and come home," Edward added as he sensed Alice trail off, flashing an understanding look towards his sister. He knew of her vision through no fault of Alice's.

"And I suppose you knew this too?" Carlisle asked Edward softly, unable to keep the hurt from his voice.

"Yes," was all Edward was able to say. Carlisle sighed heavily as he swiftly made his way out of the room and, almost resembling sheep, the family followed him out the house and onto the porch.

"We could have prevented this. But knowing Emmett, he wouldn't have made that easy and may still have gone anyway. We all understand how desperately he needs Rosalie. We can forgive him that," Carlisle decided, flashing each family member in turn an authoritative glance.

"It's not quite that simple, Carlisle." Edward made his way over to his adopted father, Bella in tow. "He has Erica."

Before the family erupted into a chaotic argument, Alice explained to them her vision of Emmett meeting Erica and his plans to take her to Volterra. They all knew instantly the fault in his idea; Aro would know what Rosalie had done with a single touch of either Erica or Emmett.

"Aro most likely knows already, he will have interrogated Rosalie one way or another. Alice how close is Emmett to Volterra?" Carlisle asked, as he hastily turned and began to run in the direction of the Volturi fortress.

"He's already in the city, Erica and Alyan too." Alice announced, quickly hurrying along beside Carlisle. "I take it we are going now then?"

"I don't like this. Someone could get hurt." Esme hurried Bella and Edward off the porch and quickly sprinted to catch up with her husband and daughter. "Where is Jasper? Don't tell me he's with Emmett too."

"No ma'am, right here," Jasper confirmed as he sprinted out of the trees to their left, taking Alice's hand as they darted back into the tree cover on the right. "Just finished hunting. Quite a commotion I could hear."

"You know what Emmett's gone and done?" Bella quizzed, darting to her left to avoid a fallen tree trunk.

"Certainly do, I can feel the tension from all of you. Though I don't blame him Bella, I would do the same if it were Alice, as I know Edward _has _for you," Jasper defended his brother easily.

"Yes Jasper, we understand why. But it does not justify his actions. He has put two humans in danger," Esme cut in as she ducked under a low branch.

"Humans who trusted him," Carlisle added disapprovingly.

For awhile no one spoke, they were too lost in trying to understand what Emmett had done and whether they were with or against his decision. Emmett had always been fiercely loyal, so it hit them even harder that he had done this without consulting any of them first. Jasper began to pick up on Carlisle's urgency to hasten their pace and swiftly emitted the emotion around the group. Without even noticing, their paces quickened as they ducked and dived their way through the thick Italian forest. The moonlight illuminated their path and occasionally danced off their marble skins. Before long they had run the hundred miles to the edge of the forest cover that surrounded the city of Volterra. At the head of the group, Carlisle held his arms out sideways as he swiftly skidded to a halt. Seeing his instruction to stop, the others aligned themselves beside him, stopping with as much grace and ease as he had. As they waited for their father's, and for Esme, her husband's, further instructions they couldn't help but notice how silent the city had fallen as the night had engulfed it mercilessly. It was almost as though it knew something was coming, or that madness was already inside its walls. Carlisle scanned along the white stone walls, searching for anything or anyone that may see them coming.

"We have to walk from here, there are too many of us to make sure we are all safely covered. Edward and I managed to get to the surrounding walls to the Volturi earlier; there are two guards at the door past the fountain. I will not encourage any of you to kill, but I am telling you to do what you must to keep us all alive, and to get Rosalie safely out. You know as well as I do that the Volturi will not hold back if they see us." Carlisle shook his head knowingly.

"Not a problem, we have our distractions," Alice gave a light nudge to Bella and Esme. "But what about Emmett?"

"We can deal with him when we see him. Just make sure that we can get Erica and Alyan out too. Stick to the plan we have," Esme whispered as she pulled away from Alice's encouraging nudge.

"Alice, you are certain this will work?" Carlisle checked once again, running his eyes over his disguised wife and daughter-in-law.

"Positive from what I have seen," she declared rather proud of herself for this makeover. "As long as they play their parts, we should be fine."

With that, Carlisle waved his arm forwards, indicating it was time to put this plan into action. Like thieves in the night they ran through the open space, keeping as low as possible, their eyes searching their surroundings for any impending danger. As they approached the large, high wall they paused momentarily before one by one leaping over it and into the heart of the city.

'_No turning back now,'_ Bella thought as she glanced towards Edward. He landed before her, smiling once before taking hold of her hand, checking Alice had made it safely over the wall, and sprinting forwards. The tiny alleyways of the city resembled that of a maze, but Carlisle's keen eye and previous knowledge of the city played pleasingly to their advantage.

"Carlisle!" Alice called quietly, an air if urgency in her voice. "Stop."

On her command, the party instantly halted. They could all hear the patter of feet on the street adjacent to theirs. There were several chimes of laughter as two older couples passed by them totally oblivious to their presence. As they were about to move again, one of the females came back, peering through the darkness towards them. Each pressed their body harder against the wall, desperate not to be noticed.

"Alright, love?" A male voice called out. The woman hesitated for a moment longer as she swayed from side to side.

'_Hic_!' she giggled through her rather loud hiccup. "Yes, fine Andrew. Thought I saw someone there that was all. Can't be too careful boy-o, not after some of our party disappearing the other day like they did."

"Quite right, love. Quite right. Come on, let's get you back to the hotel." The man appeared, taking the woman by the arm and leading her away. Carlisle exhaled in relief as the staggered footsteps and hiccups faded.

"Inebriated tourists," Jasper muttered, also exhaling as the tension left the group. It was obvious that the woman's mention of disappearing tourists had knocked them slightly; the Volturi were still active here and that made this mission all the more real and frightening. "Onwards then!"

It wasn't long before they reached the large fountain and doorway into the Volturi's dark hideaway. Just as Carlisle had said, there were two rather bulky looking guards standing at the entrance, both draped in long black cloaks. Bella squeezed Edwards hand as the memories of those few years ago flooded back to her. Knowing exactly what was meant by her squeeze, Edward turned and reassuringly smiled to his wife. As he did so, Bella swivelled on her heels, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with the urgency she felt inside. The urgency to make sure that she would be coming back to him.

"Forgive me for this," she murmured gently against his neck. Edward took hold of her wrists, pulling her even closer into him.

"Nothing to forgive, it's for Rose that's all. Those guards won't stand a chance, love." He smiled confidently before turning to Alice who was stood close by with Jasper. In a second the three of them were gone, merged inconspicuously in the shadows of the houses.

"I'm proud of you darling. Keep an eye on Bella, won't you?" Carlisle asked as he lightly lifted a loose curl from Esme's face, kissing her on the cheek.

"Of course, but ..." but before she had even finished speaking, Carlisle too was gone. Taking in a deep breath Esme shook her head, lifted it high in the air, flashed a grin to Bella and sauntered sexily over to the large, Volturi guards. Bella glanced back to where her remaining family had hidden themselves, needing some kind of encouragement. If Esme could do this, then surely she could too. As she was about to give in, a flash of golden eyes caught her attention. Edward. Sure enough, she straightened her top, pouted her lips and confidently strode after Esme.

"Well, hi there," Esme greeted the larger, dark haired guard. She flashed him an enchanting smile as she brushed aside her cloak to reveal Alice's taunting outfit. Watching as Esme flirted outrageously, Bella stood uncomfortably for a moment before striding over to the smaller brunette guard, and following her lead. As she flicked her hair and stroked her thighs, the guards eyes that had been eyeing Esme suspiciously became quickly glued to her. From the shadows of the houses Edward, Carlisle, Jasper and Alice waited patiently for the guards to fall for Esme's and Bella's feminine vampiric charm; not that it took long at all. Carlisle sighed as Esme twisted her body to face them, pulling the guards attention away from the door. Edward growled as Bella repeated Esme's actions.

"Don't read their minds, Edward," Jasper said through gritted teeth. "They are just part of the plan."

In that moment, Esme raised her right arm as she laughed and pressed the other to the guard's chest, forcing his eyes to that hand, and waved with the other to indicate they could get through. Quickly assessing Bella's situation, and seeing that she had the smaller guard suitably distracted, Carlisle led the way around the fountain and through the old, large doors. Jasper slipped through last and began to follow the others down the dark corridor. Suddenly, Alice swivelled around, panic on her face.

"The door!" she hissed, quickly darting back down the corridor. But it was too late.

BANG.

They froze as its echo soared passed them. Outside, the guards jumped to attention at the unexpected noise. Pushing Esme away, the larger guard headed for the door. Esme's eyes widened as he reached for the doorknob, and as he did she pounced. Landing on his back she ran her nails across his neck and with a single, firm twist, she detached his head, jumping back as his body flopped to the floor. Still alert, she turned her attention to where Bella had been standing. Instead, there was a small flicker of light followed by the aroma of burning vampire flesh.

"Bella?" She hissed, suddenly unnerved.

"Yeah?" Bella stepped out from behind the growing flames. "Don't worry, I took care of him."

"Nice job. I'm proud of you!" Esme's smile widened as Bella strolled towards her.

"Sorry!" Jasper's voice came from behind the door. "Burn all the pieces."

"GO!" Esme called back, glancing around to check no-one had noticed the commotion. It certainly was lucky that the city was quiet tonight. After tossing the head and body of the guard into the flames, Esme and Bella rapidly entered the building, closing the door carefully and silently behind them. Battle would begin.


	13. Swift as a shadow

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

Swift as a shadow

"She's been silent for an hour," Felix informed Jane. She turned slowly to him, a devilish smirk spoiling her childish, innocent features. "Maybe it's time we went in."

"No. I think not," Jane's eyelids fluttered with niggling irritation. How dare he? Felix is nothing more than a guard and should know his place. But to try and question her authority over him and her orders, well, that was almost a step too far.

"Aro's orders are to show her not pity, no weakness' in our coven," she continued coldly, a bitter sharpness at the edge of her otherwise angelic voice. "We don't want the Cullens catching wind of any ... tremors or gaps in our household that they may use against us. Do we?"

Demetri's eyes shifted from the door to his right where Jane stood slightly ahead of him. Subtly, the corner of his lip pulled up into a dark, delightful smile. He admired Jane's seemly cool exterior, though he could sense the venom that she so desperately desired to poison their guest with. There was only this one door that separated them from the Cullen girl ... though Jane knew Aro would never overlook her killing Rosalie, particularly without his permission. Felix and his growing feelings for the Cullen girl had not escaped Jane's sharp eye. He had wanted to see her condition for some time now, and his incessant insistence on entering into her chamber only exasperated Jane's limited patience with him. And this, this was the weakness Aro was so afraid of Rosalie or any of the Cullen's being privy to. Jane's smirk faded as she spun around to face Felix; it was that weakness that made him a liability. With a single blink and a soft sigh, she hastily refocused her wondering thoughts.

"Guard her. She will be more agile, stronger and faster now with the intake of human blood," her eyes ran over Felix's large physique. It really was a shame that Aro was so fond of him, or she could have had him taken out by now. Though if Felix were to give her a reason to have him ... removed, then that would just be delightful. "We don't want her miraculously getting out now, do we, Felix?"

Felix gritted his teeth and locked his jaw, how he had begun to despise her private games. He could see them performing behind her crimson eyes, with him always cast as the villain who would fall. He watched Jane tilt her head, captivated in her gaze that he seemed unable to pull himself away from. When Jane's eyes narrowed and seemed to silently threaten him, Felix hastily gave a small, sharp nod to acknowledge her request.

"Sister, Aro requires your presence, remember?" Alec piped up; he had been so silent they had almost forgotten he was there at all.

"Yes, of course." Her glare tightened on Felix. "Excuse us Felix, won't you? I'll be back shortly."

With a quick, forced smile, Jane turned and began to glide her way down the seemingly endless corridor with Alec and Demetri following closely behind in her shadow. Though as she reached the old, large doorway that concealed Aro, Caius and Marcus, she suddenly drew to a halt and twisted her head only slightly towards Alec.

"Stay with Felix. I'm certain he will disobey me and if he does ... let him," Jane whispered cruelly, not wanting anyone else to hear her.

"Yes sister," Alec replied, a little disheartened at not being able to join her for the meeting with Aro; he had been looking forward to hearing Rosalie's sentencing. As Demetri swung open the hall doors and Jane marched through them, Alec darted back to Felix's side. Even the loud bang of the doors closing behind Jane did not disturb Felix from the spot he had not moved from for several hours now. Though he could have sworn the walls of this cold, dark corridor had sighed in relief at Jane's departing as he had.

"Felix, Jane's ..." Alec began after an awkward moment of silence. But at seeing Felix take a sudden step towards the door, his compulsive need to obey overcame him.

"I am aware of her instructions." Felix growled, though he then hesitated. Alec lowered his eyes to the ground, almost ashamed of the comfort he was about to try to offer Felix. After all, he was rather fond of him, unlike his sister.

"It was why the human was there, she would have killed him sooner or later. You could say you saved her the prolonged torment." A smile tugged at the corner of Alec's lips and his eyes narrowed at the vicious and bloody images prancing behind them, the comfort he intended to offer fading instantly. "Just the thought makes me hungry."

"I aided her torment. She's strong, stronger than Aro has given her credit for," Felix reached out for the door before pausing once again. He believed that she would not have killed the human, and even if they could not, he could see the subdued strength inside of her. The strength and power he had succeeded in crushing out of his own pitiful jealousy and desire. In that moment, Alec recalled Jane's last order once again.

"It's your funeral," Alec muttered as he turned away from Felix to face the wall behind them. Instantly, Felix took that as his cue to continue without further interruption, and as swiftly as a shadow, he slipped around the door and into Rosalie's darkened chamber. As he cautiously pushed the door closed behind him, he rested himself against it as his eyes began to scan the empty, rectangular room. For a moment, the silence tricked him into believing he was alone, but his senses quickly assured him otherwise. There was something different about this space, something far more sinister than there had been during his last visit. Felix scoffed aloud, startling himself at that thought; _he_ was the only thing sinister about it previously. His scoff forced had him to draw in a small amount of air, which resulted in his nostrils pinching themselves as the smell of old, dry blood and decomposition swirled their way into his lungs. After scanning the left side of the room, his eyes fell to the ground at his feet and sure enough, there lay the lifeless body; a victim of a vampire's desire. As much as he despised her usual eating habits, he far from despised her. Seeing the small human body drained of both its life and blood, Felix couldn't help but feel a wave of guilt tug at him that momentarily distracted him from his search for Rosalie.

But she had seen him.

As he had entered her space, she had recoiled to the furthest corner of the room at a speed she could barely comprehend herself. Something in her had changed. Something she could not explain. Her eyes narrowed as she closely watched him scan the room before looking to the ... seeing the ... bo ... the body. A sharp twinge of pain stabbed at her chest; she was trying hard to drown out her sorrow and to focus upon her intruder. All the pain and guilt she felt seemed to twist and change, transforming into something far more worthy. Anger.

"Rosalie?" the sadistic imbecile called out for her. He had no right to speak her name. She refused to answer him and instead silently pushed herself further into the crack of the corner, spreading her arms out and digging her nails into the helpless stone. Her head lowered and twisted as she brought all her hate to the surface. Almost without permission, a growl shook her chest before squeezing through her clenched teeth and hard, granite lips.

At hearing her sudden growl, Felix straightened himself up, becoming instinctively defensive. His widened eyes shot across the dark space between them to Rosalie's animalistic figure moulded into the corner. He swallowed hard as he took in her drastically different appearance. She appeared stronger than he had ever seen her. Her hair, despite its dishevelled state, seemed to gleam with a renewed energy. Her skin seemed softer, rejuvenated and brighter. Felix's thoughts stumbled over themselves, bewildered by her new appearance. That, and the sudden concern he felt for his own safety; her detest for him hovered between them, that almost resembled a think, depressing fog.

"Rosalie?" He finally called out again in the softest tone he could possibly muster. He waited for her to respond, but she didn't. There weren't even her usual fidgety movements that kept up her human façade. He shifted his weight from on foot to the other, uncomfortable by the tense silence. As he went to speak again, he heard her draw in one long, deep breath. So instead, he waited.

"Do you have any idea how much, I. Hate. You?" she finally asked, her jaw trembling with the anger small frame was trying so hard to contain. Felix sighed heavily, relieved to hear her talk.

"I never meant to hurt you Rosalie. I was following orders ..." he began.

"Don't lie to me," she replied bluntly, sharply. As she spoke, she dragged her manicured nails down through the stone that screeched at her touch. Felix winced as the screeching reached his ears and rang through them.

"Fine. No, it wasn't orders. You were starving and needed to feed. I couldn't see you waste away." Felix spoke carefully, cautiously. Well, it was partly the truth, if not the whole of it.

"You did it because I refused you. Because Emmett is _twice_ the man you are," Rosalie continued to taunt. Yes, that was it. He wanted her and couldn't have her, so he made her suffer. He took away the one virtue she had left; that she had not ever tasted the sweet nectar of human blood. Felix tore his gaze away from Rosalie as he searched desperately for an answer that may help her see him in a more positive light, but he came up with nothing. He had only looked away for a split second, not even that. But when he looked back, Rosalie was standing face to face with him. Her body almost pressed against his. How had he missed her move? How had he not heard her move? As a soft snarl rumbled in her throat, Felix jumped back in surprise, almost tripping over the human body as he did so. Quickly regaining his balance, his eyes met with her changed ones, and a wave of panic soared through him as once again Rosalie changed her position, and once again, despite keeping his eyes on her this time, he had not seen her move. Felix's eyes darted to his right where Rosalie now stood. To his amazement her eyes were narrowed and her hair was smoothed perfectly back into place, not a single strand out of position. Her posture was perfect, as was she. Felix shook his head as if he thought he were dreaming and could shake these strange sights away. Something was not right, he knew that the moment he stepped foot into this chamber and that feeling was only growing with angst; he could feel it in the pit of his being, in the hairs on his neck, in his still and unbeating heart. Another split second passed as he searched for an explanation of this strange course of events. But unsurprisingly he drew no conclusions. There was only one thing he was now certain of ... he had to get out, now.

"Don't think about leaving," Rosalie whispered into his ear as she balanced perfectly on the balls of her feet. It wasn't until he heard her speak, that he noticed she was no longer stood to his left. Hissing wildly in frustration, he spun around to find where her voice had emerged from.

"Startled?" her disembodied voice questioned again. She was thankful for this ... gift ... if that was what this was, but she had still not worked out how or why she suddenly had it. But it was here now and she was wasting time, she may lose control of this incredible speed at any moment. Without hesitation she reached out at a speed far too quick for Felix, and with one single jolt of her wrist there was the sound of crunching bones that screeched in horror. A wide smile framed Rosalie's beautiful face, and Felix couldn't help but think she looked even more beautiful now than ever. That thought did not last for long, as there was a sudden burn at his shoulder, followed by the most agonising pain he could have imagined. Keeping his eyes on Rosalie, his right arm flew to his shoulder. There was nothing there. His arm was gone. It was a moment before Felix could take in what had happened, and before it could make any sense his head flew back as an almighty roar soared out from his chest. If anyone had been watching Rosalie, they would have seen her eyes appear to darken in delight at the pain she had caused him.

"That's _nothing_ compared to what you have done!" she screamed out in an attempt to be heard over Felix's agonising cries. While Felix stumbled, unbalanced by his missing limb, Rosalie tossed his arm to the ground and launched towards him. Momentarily delighted to see her moving again, Felix lashed out his one intact arm that crashed with a deafening boom against Rosalie's chest. Before she could react he sent her flying back into the wall behind them. As her marble torso collided with the wall, the air in her lungs escaped and winded her. Quickly drawing in another breath, she spun though the air, landing on the ground softly with one arm in front of her body while her legs spread out to her sides to aid her defensive poise. Rosalie whipped up her head, sending her golden hair rippling through the air until it landed spectacularly against her back. A snarl ripped through her as she once again propelled herself towards Felix. Unsure how her newfound speed could be activated, she was slow enough for Felix to intercept her advance. With one arm, he reached out towards her throat. As his fingers picked at the air, Rosalie ducked gracefully, gliding underneath his hand towards his large torso. Felix's arm instantly retracted, taking hold of a handful of soft hair that struggled to keep up with its owner. A small cry left Rosalie's lips as it snapped her head backward with an almighty force. She hit the floor a second later and instantly pushed herself up again, smashing against Felix's large figure and knocking them both to the ground. Before he was able to react, Rosalie landed atop him; her legs spread either side of his chest. One arm reached out behind her as the other met his throat, forcing him back against the stone floor. Felix screamed out as the raw concrete flesh of his shoulder met the ground, teasing the already torn and burning wound. In defence his other arm flew upwards, but was met by Rosalie's already outstretched hand. As she took a firm hold of his wrist, she forced his arm back against the ground at his side. Felix snarled as his eyes met Rosalie's. He had lost. She could kill him now. Rosalie could sense his defeat, it was evident in her eyes as she snarled and spat wildly over him. Insulted by the way he gazed at her she dug her nails deeper into his marble skin, which cut through it with immense ease. Against her better judgements and natural instincts of battle, Rosalie found herself bending down towards Felix's stern and shaken face. She felt him tremble slightly beneath her; he really was pathetic. Unnerved by her advances and rather glad to still have his head intact, Felix allowed her to lean steadily closer. With every millimetre that she came closer his body tensed. Where was his fight? Where was his strength? He never imagined for a single moment that she could get to him this much. That he wouldn't even want to retaliate against her now, in this moment that could be his last. But instead of sinking her teeth into his neck and tearing his head from his neck, she pressed her lips against his ears and whispered coldly to him.

"I will make you pay." As she spoke, Felix's eyes narrowed. She was not going to let him live, she wanted to tease him, to make him suffer before she killed him. As Rosalie began to lift her head away from his, a smaller figure crashed against her with an almightily force that knocked her off Felix and sent her flying once again towards the cell wall. As she tumbled across the floor, her eyes caught sight of Alec.

"That's quite enough from you." Alec spoke calmly, unaware of her new level of threat towards him. Rosalie held her ground, debating the best course of action if she were to take the two of them on. One way or another, she was determined to end Felix.

"Here I am Felix. Why don't you just get it over with?" Rosalie spread her arms out, showing her vulnerability; the hate she felt for herself evident to the Volturi guards before her. Felix was hastily staggering to his feet while Alec stood calmly beside him, amused at Felix's dishevelled state. Now was not the time to wallow in what she had done, she had to try to remain strong at least in appearance.

"Quiet Cullen," Alec snapped before scanning the room, bending down and picking up Felix's arm that lay on the ground by his feet.

"Hale," Felix challenged Alec daringly, in nothing more than a low growl.

"This is yours I assume," Alec sniggered, tossing the arm to Felix and returning his gaze to meet Rosalie's. "You clearly have not learnt your place. No-one is coming for you and you cannot beat us. I hope you are prepared for Jane to hear of this ... incident. She will be intrigued."

Rosalie didn't answer, but his words echoed through her mind; _'no one is coming for you'_. Maybe he was right. She had lost all sense of time since she had been here, and amongst all her efforts not to kill the human, she had forgotten that Emmett was not here. Surely he would have come for her by now, surely they all would have. Did she really mean so little to them? Were they happier without her? Her anger melted quicker than she had been prepared for, in its place, leaving only heartache and sorrow. All the years she had managed to live without human blood, never tasting it or desiring it enough to kill for a taste. But one second had changed everything she had known, trapping her in this orb of hate and pity. No thoughts able to ease her, only thoughts of knowing what she had now become. Pieces of her humanity seemed to break away, revealing the shallow beast within her; a stronger, faster and more vicious creature emerging with each passing second. For the first time, it was like she had opened her eyes, reached the top of the treacherous mountain, seen the light that for so long had been hidden from her. But with it, came the feeling of loneliness and the memories that she had left behind, and betrayed, the moment she had felt the boy's blood sooth her scorching desire. Was this freedom? Was this what Carlisle had been keeping them from? What was worse, was that if felt ... good. If felt free. But the feeling of freedom lasted only as long as she didn't allow herself to see her kill, her naive and undeserving prey. Then, it was as though she had smashed into an unbreakable wall. All the feelings of safety and security that her inner beast provided for her, shattered and departed. Life caught up with her, humanity forced her to see the loathing that drowned her. Rosalie blinked as she curled her legs into her chest and wrapped her arms comfortingly around them. Every inch of her now felt weak.

"He will come for me. You know it as well as I do and it scares you. Both of you," Rosalie answered shakily, not wanting to look up from the floor to see their reactions.

"You sound about as convinced of that as I do that I shall become a vegetarian by dinner time, and you know as well as I do that that won't be the case," Alec replied in a voice that was almost as angelic, yet evil as Jane's. With a soft sigh, Rosalie turned her attention back to Felix.

"How could you do that, Felix? If you want me to hate myself, then success, I do." Her voice tried hard to sound strong, but its efforts were useless. "No matter how low you try to make me sink, I shall never turn to you."

"Better it was me than Aro," Felix answered half-heartedly while trying to get his arm to reattach, and ignore those last few stinging words.

"Better no-one! I killed a child ... I _murdered_ someone's child ..." Her angry but sorrowful voice once again. She was not worthy of life, of this existence, of this life. Emmett had told her to be careful what she had wished for, and she had laughed him off. But he was right, sometimes you get it all and you wish you didn't. Because everything isn't always what you thought it was, what you wanted comes with demons in tow, punishments and judgements. Rosalie's eyes that had closed tightly, shutting away the world opened and darted to Alec. He could help her.

"Make it go," She asked with a sudden strength. Rosalie recalled Carlisle's knowledge of the Volturi and their gifts; Alec was the antidote to Jane. He could make her feel nothing. And nothing was all she craved now. No child, no love, no husband, no home and no family.

"My pleasure," Alec narrowed his eyes as he locked Rosalie in his sights. He would make her pain go, but maybe a little more permanently than she was asking for. Felix looked on intently, unsure whose move it was next. His arm was already beginning to attach as he held it to his ripped shoulder.

"I'm sure Jane wanted to do this herself, but then ... if you're gone I'm sure she will forgive me." Alec chanted thoughtfully.

"I don't think that would be wise, brother," a small, angel like voice interrupted them.

"Sister," Alec greeted Jane sounding rather disappointed, his eyes not leaving Rosalie as he retreated towards the door and his sister.

"I was right not to trust you, Felix. Aro requests a meeting with you presently." Jane also locked her sights upon Rosalie, eyeing her new appearance blankly. Rosalie felt a tremor of panic shake her core as Jane moved steadily closer towards her. As Jane closed the gap between then she sighed softly, her eyes almost smiling as they threw daggers into Rosalie.

"What a mess you have made. Aro has come to a decision. You won't be here much longer." Jane's smiling eyes travelled down towards her lips, which quirked with pleasure.

"You're releasing her?" Felix questioned cautiously. Jane laughed happily, folding her hands together as she turned to examine Felix's torn arm.

"No. She will be ended." Jane chimed with pleasure eminent in every part of her angel like body.

"End her? But the Cullens ..." Alec began.

"They will surely come, but they will be one less to deal with. Come along."Jane backed out of the room, aware that there was something different about Rosalie. There was an echo of a woman's voice through the corridors. Jane stiffened, the voice was unfamiliar and followed by the low growl of a male of their kind. In the chamber, Rosalie had also heard the voices, and without doubt recognised it as Emmett's. He had come for her! Feeling like she should cry, but unable to, Rosalie's lips steadily broke into a smile. He did love her ... but could he love her once he knew what she had done? How she had disgraced herself and him. Her smile faded, and the newly lit light inside her blew out. Even if he did forgive her for this, she knew he would never make it through the Volturi alone to get to her. She strained her ears, listening for other voices. Rosalie brought herself to her feet; he was defiantly without the rest of her family.

"It seems we have visitors. Find them." Jane spoke softly but with a vicious note in her angelic voice. Rosalie's eyes darted to the open chamber door at the same moment Jane looked back to Rosalie. Before she even knew it, Rosalie was racing towards the open doorway.

"Shut it!" Jane demanded hastily. Alec swivelled towards the door, his eyes widening as he took in Rosalie's speed. As Rosalie reached the doorway, with freedom in sight, she caught sight once more of the small human body and instantly lost focus on her goal. Alec reached for the door, pushing it with all his might in the hope it would close before Rosalie reached them. To Rosalie, it seemed almost like slow motion as she turned away from the lifeless body and the door slammed shut before her. Her outreached hands landed hard against it as her body followed closely behind. She cried out in frustration and anger, calling for Emmett to find her. She stepped back, preparing once more to charge at the door. It would break. It had to break.

In the second between her body hitting the door and her feet begin to run, she found herself feeling disappointed that she could have ever doubted her strong, loving husband. Though in here, she could be of no assistance to him. Her ears pricked as she strained harder to hear him once again. Rosalie's heart shivered as she unwillingly thought of him attempting to fight through the Volturi single handed.

"Search the premises. NOW!" Jane demanded to the guard that had congregated around her.

"We will find him Rosalie." Jane lowered her voice and stepped towards the closed door, intending these words only for Rosalie. "And we will kill him."

_A/N: Hey everyone, just a quick note; Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry it's taken me a while to write and upload it – was a bit tough to write! As always, LOVE to hear what you think! What do you think of Rosalie having a power/gift too? – You may be able to guess how she now has one, but if not, it shall be explained in later chapters. _


	14. Some Cupid kills with arrows

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps

"Thanks very much!" Erica called after the taxi as she gingerly balanced Alyan on her hip. With her free arm, she tossed her bags to Emmett one by one. "I may have too many things. I just got so excited about this trip, you know? We haven't been away in ... well, ever really. It's so kind of you to do this for us, Emmett, it really is."

"Don't fret it. Anyone would think I'm your carrier donkey," Emmett chuckled as he deliberated over that image for a moment. Erica paused to examine the obscenely large man standing easily before her, despite being ladled with many bags; how strange he could hold them all so easily, it wasn't like they were light. Her thoughts were swiftly interrupted as a deep laugh escaped his masculine lips, and Erica couldn't help but think what a lucky lady Rosalie was to have such a husband. From the airport to Volterra it had taken an hour's drive, and Emmett spent the majority of the journey wondering how long it would have taken him to run; less time, definitely less time. And less talking, _much_ less talking.

"Is this it? This is where Rosalie is working?" Erica asked, a little disheartened as a sulky frown formed on her brow. "It looks pretty dull to me! Sorry, I don't mean to be rude it's just ... not what I expected."

Placing Alyan's carrier down on the paved floor beneath her, she stared at the white-washed wall towering up before her. With a heavy sigh she placed one arm on her hip and the other under her chin as she contemplated her darkened surroundings. The fountain was pretty, the large wooden and bolted door before her was not. There was no sun, but then, it was night. She searched the small streets that staggered off in all angles to their unknown destinations. There was no-one around, and she couldn't help but think how unnaturally silent it was here tonight.

"You're right, there's defiantly a lack of wine, pools and grape vines." A smile quirked Emmett's lips as he placed down the many bags Erica had packed. Bags that he knew she wouldn't be needing for quite a while. "That what you were expecting?"

"Well. Yes, actually. Not that I'm complaining, don't get me wrong. It's ... just ... really quiet," Erica mused.

Emmett scanned his sharp eyes around the open square before looking to the baby carrier on the floor. Erica paused for a moment as she watched the amusement and happiness drain from Emmett's face. Suddenly she could see nothing in him she knew; nothing in his eyes that sparked as they usually did. The longer she stared, the further she was drawn into them, finding herself unable to pull away. There was something about this moment that she did not like, something that caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. Should she go to him? Make sure he was ok? No. Something about his large, muscular physique frightened her now. Gradually becoming more aware that Erica was shuffling uncomfortably next to him, Emmett thought over what he was about to do. There was no guarantee this was going to work. If it failed, could he really live with knowing that he could be responsible for causing the death of two innocent people, of his son?

'_Pull it together,'_ his thoughts screamed at him. He was too close to change his mind now, and there was certainly no way he could explain his change of mind to Erica. He was still unsure how he was planning on telling her the truth anyway.

"I don't usually do this," he said finally, shattering the uncomfortable silence that had built between them. Maybe it would be better if she were to see for herself. Yes, he would show her. Emmett spent a further moment wondering if she were to see who he really was for herself, and by not telling her directly, if he would still be breaking the Volturi's rules.

"Do what?" she quizzed in complete and utter confusion by his misplaced silence. From behind them, Emmett could hear the thuds of two pairs of feet that disturbed his train of thought. His eyes darted to the door... there were no guards. He was sure Carlisle had mentioned the likelihood of there being at least two guards here, particularly at night. Sure enough, two cloaked figures appeared gracefully from the dark alleyways, one much larger than the other. Quickly, and without hesitation, Emmett snatched Alyan in his crib from the ground, barged open the large door and placed him down inside. Hurriedly he returned outside, collected all the suitcases and launched them through the old doorway. Before he allowed Erica to see him again, he drew in one large breath to steady himself. What he was about to do would break the vampiric laws still, he was sure of that. But as he could hear the guards drawing nearer, he knew he had no other choice. Before Erica was even aware what was happening, Emmett had seized her and was charging back inside, silently shutting and bolting the door behind them. Letting Erica go, he pressed his large body against the door to listen to the approaching guards.

"Enjoyable hunt," one of them said grimly. Emmett's eyes flashed over to Erica who was standing rather unsteadily on her feet.

"Certainly. Though being on guard tonight will be pretty dull," the other answered. Emmett relaxed his extremely tense posture, relieved that they had not been seen.

'_Some guard,'_ he thought to himself before regaining focus upon Erica. She stood still. Her face white. Her hands shaking.

"H ... how ... how did you ... how did you do that?" She asked shakily, her eyes wide with fright as she eyed the newly perceived stranger before her. She hardly remembered seeing him move and before she knew it, she had felt his arms take hold of her and then she was indoors. "What did you do? Magic?"

"Magic? No." He shook his head, letting his eyes fall away from her and to the ground. "Sssh, quickly," he whispered, once again collecting Alyan and reaching out for Erica. If she was going to yell at him, then here really was not the best of places. He could hear the guard, which would mean if they were not careful, they would hear them.

"Answer me!" Erica demanded, pulling herself away from his outstretched hand. "Give me Alyan. Now, Emmett."

"Erica, trust me. You've gotta be quiet. There are ... people ... out there that won't like you being here." He tried to be calm and reason with her, unsure of quite how to phrase what he was truly thinking. But Erica was having none of it. She opened her mouth to speak again, but before she had the chance Emmett wrapped his free hand across her mouth, lifted her from the ground and dashed down the corridor and into a room on his right.

"What the hell!" Erica cried out again, even more certain this time that it was him that had moved her. She blinked in horror, as Emmett was then standing before her with all her luggage.

"Rosalie is here, Erica. Just not like I told you." Emmett pressed himself against the stone wall and peered around it to make sure they were definitely alone.

"Liar! I'm getting out of here." She reached out for Alyan but was stopped in her tracks as Emmett flew to her. "This is insane. You can't move like that! You just can't!"

"You can't go, trust me. I'm much faster than you, stronger than you. I'd stop you before you could think about trying. I don't wanna frighten you, honestly, but you have to listen." He silently congratulated himself for frightening her when he needed to calm her. Edward or even Jasper would be much better suited to this task.

"I don't have to listen. I don't want to listen. I want to go, clearly you are either insane or freakishly ... fast ..." she trailed off as her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Shakily, she reached out one finger to point it accusingly at Emmett. "That night, the one in the mountains, I didn't faint. I knew I didn't ... that blonde woman ... that was Rosalie? She didn't save me! She tried to kill us!"

"It was a mistake, Erica. She's not a bad ..." Erica interrupted him as her mind whirled over the events she believed to be true, and the ones her mind was now telling her were true.

"What the hell are you? She lifted Ben six feet into the air with one arm ... she moved as fast as you!" Each word she spoke was interrupted by the taps of her feet as she began to pace across the room, back and forth, wondering what the heck she had got herself into this time.

"Accident," Emmett replied, bending the truth slightly.

"She stole my child." Erica blinked, outrage causing her cheeks to flush red.

"Bigger accident," he replied sheepishly, half smiling in discomfort, his eyes narrowing at the memories of that night.

"You better start talking, seriously!" Erica's arms flailed around at her sides, frustration taking its harsh, firm grip on her.

"If I told you I'd be killed," Emmett muttered, knowing the sordid truth in that statement, and praying that Rosalie was still alive.

"Wrong. The saying is, _'if I told you, I'd have to kill you'_. Don't give me that crap. Talk or I go, stop me if you want. But I'll leave one way or another," she continued to demand.

"Erica, places have royal families, or dictators or governments, right?" Emmett began, thinking carefully how to tell her who he was without her attempting to run for the hills. He couldn't lose her now.

"Right..." she replied, her eyes darting around the room, clearly annoyed and exasperated now.

"This place is kind of where my royal family are. They are pretty powerful, and even by telling you who I am gives them the go ahead to have me killed." He paused to examine Erica once more. She look less than impressed, instead her eyes flitted between the doorway, Alyan and him. "I'm a vampire."

"And I'm the Queen of Sheba," Erica chimed in a ridiculous, patronizing tone. Emmett didn't answer, instead waited for the moment that every human has when they realise the vampire before them isn't lying. He watched as Erica's emotions manifested from anger, to annoyance, to confusion, to disbelief and finally, amidst splutters of nonsense and stamping of her feet, she came to shock and horror.

"You have to be kidding me ..." she finally whispered breathlessly. Her voice caught in her throat. "Vampires are myth, legend, and fantasy! They are not real! You're ... you're lying ..."

"I'm not. I did move fast, I can move really fast." He paused again as he listened to the erratic thumping of her heart. "One time I ran along a runway with a plane and I was ..."

"I get it! Just ... I can't believe it. I can't." Her hands flew to her mouth as tears welled in her shimmery blue eyes. "Why did you lie to me?"

"Because I love my wife." The answer was simple. Erica calmed instantly as she examined the truth in his eyes. Her breathing steadied as she fell back against the wall behind her.

"That I can understand," she answered again in a soft whisper. She loved her partner, Ben, but he had a terrible temper, one that he found hard to control and it scared her; scared her to the point of wanting to be free of him ... for Alyan to be free of him.

"I'm sorry I had to do this. But I have to get Rose back." Emmett knelt down and reached out a single finger to Alyan who was beginning to stir from his sleep. "She is my world, Erica."

"Then tell me, honestly, what happened to her?" She pulled herself away from the wall and cautiously moved over to Emmett's side and knelt beside him. "What is so bad that you have to lie to me and my ... your son to get us here. What possible help can I offer you?"

"More than you know. It was Rosalie that night in the mountains. She's passionate, feisty and sometimes I don't think she sees beyond herself. But, being as we are we can't have kids. Rosalie can't change, so she can't get pregnant. Kids is all she wants now, she's not exactly a fan of this life 'cause it stops her getting the one thing she wants now. Part of me wonders if she still wants me, if I'm enough for her now." Emmett leant down to pick Alyan up, lost in the new self-pity he had uncovered.

"Fine. So she was trying to kill me. That's just peachy. Wait ... you think that I wouldn't give you Alyan if I knew?" Erica pieced together the puzzle that circled and scattered in her mind. Slowly, she stood and once again backed away from this stranger.

"That and the rest," Emmett sighed.

"You're right, I wouldn't. Damn right I wouldn't! What has this got to do with me now then? We can put that behind us for now, everyone makes mistakes," Erica reached out to Emmett, her eyes focused solely on him. Understanding her movements instantly, her lack of trust in him was understandable, he unwillingly handed back her baby. It took a few minutes longer for him to explain everything that he knew, pausing every now and then to check Erica had understood him. She nodded every now and then, a permanent crease on her brow as she struggled to believe what he was telling her.

"... so that's it." Emmett finally concluded. His large hands ran through his curly hair before settling across his broad chest.

"Can't lie, I'm in shock ... disbelief ... You led me here, lied to me. Do you understand that I. Hate. You, right now?" As she spoke those three words, 'I hate you', Emmett couldn't help but be drawn back to that night in the mountains above Forks. The night Rosalie had betrayed them all and nearly damaged everything they had worked hard for. And it stung. Emmett felt himself swallow hard as the clear images played in his mind:

"_You left me no other option Rose." His tone was deep, almost regretful. "You know this wasn't going to end any differently." He sighed, pressing his palms to his temples._

"_I. Hate. You." Her head was lowered, allowing him only to see her black eyes. Letting his arms fall to his sides, he shook his head before tilting it slightly to look directly at her._

"_No, you don't." He challenged her, knowing they could get through this. Even if no-one else did, he still had faith in her._

Erica continued to degrade him further, only partly aware that he was not listening, and gradually her words became harsher as once again her anger bubbled to the surface.

"You can't expect me to give my son to you now? You bring me here into a pit of vampires that you say may or may not fancy killing me! To kill my baby! You're evil, hell is too good for you! YOU WILL LET ME GO!" Erica roared. Her echo rang through the room and out into the corridor. It was only then that Emmett snapped back to reality. Panic flooded though him as he became aware of her dangerously raised voice.

"Erica," he hissed, lunging towards her as his muscles tensed.

"NO! You let me out of here. NEVER, I mean it! NEVER touch us, or see us again!" she continued, oblivious to the imminent danger that she was likely to be drawing towards them. Emmett hissed as he desperately tried to find a way to silence her without hurting her or scaring her any further. Every step he made towards Erica, forced her to dart further away. Her eyes kept returning to the door as she foolishly attempted to find a way past this monster.

"Please, shut it. You'll draw them to us." His posture was tensed as he tried to listen out for any sign of the Volturi, but at the same time trying to calm Erica. From her reaction, he quickly realised how animalistic his posture had become so quickly straightened himself up.

"WHO?" Erica continued to shout, "Draw who to us?"

"I told you that we only eat animal, but not all of us are like that. Not many at all, most live on human and the ones here definitely do!" Emmett informed her, almost begging her to be quiet now.

"WHAT! This Voltie ... Vol-try, or whatever they are, live on human? Well great, freaking great. Thanks Emmett, thanks for NOTHING!" As Emmett's hands flew to his temples in frustration, Erica saw her moment to flee. But Emmett had already seen the subconscious movements she was making, every human made them as they would think about moving, and he darted to intercept her. As he reached out and took hold of her arms that cradled Alyan, she screamed out in fear of him. As quickly as he could, he wrapped one hand over her mouth to muffle the sound as he pulled them further into the shadows of the room. Erica squirmed to get free of him only causing Alyan to begin to cry too.

"Bloody hell," he muttered under his breath. He expected things to take a turn for the worst, but not like this, not so soon. He bent his head down so his lips were level with her dainty human ear. "Listen to me, they will kill you. I won't. I'm trying to help but you gotta let me. I can't let you stop me getting Rosalie back."

He hesitated as he felt Erica's struggles begin to slow. He could hear and smell her blood rushing through her body, in and out of her warm, pulsating heart. He could see it as it rose to the surfaces of her flushing cheeks. How he would just love a taste, one taste, that's all he would need.

"NO," he suddenly called out, his arms releasing Erica and pushing her forwards and away from him. It had been a while since he had fed now too; all this excitement was certainly thirsty work.

Erica stumbled a few steps before tripping over a slightly lose slab on the ground, before she knew it, she began to tumble towards the ground as she grasped fiercely onto Alyan. Seeing her trip Emmett shot forwards, instantly forgetting his thirst, catching her only inches before she were to collide with the ground below. But Erica didn't have time to be thankful.

"Well, isn't this just a touching scene?" a small voice floated in from the doorway. Emmett stiffened and froze. He quickly pulled himself upright, still holding Erica closely, as his eyes fell upon his enemy.

"Jane," he greeted her solemnly, bitterly. Erica quickly scanned over the child-like figure before them. She was only a child, yet she could sense the fear her presence held for even one such as Emmett. She gasped as she saw how crimson the child's eyes were, how white and smooth her skin was. Several other people with similar appearances appeared behind her, completely blocking their way out of the room. He wasn't lying, they were different here.

"Emmett Cullen, you've taken your time. We expected you much sooner than this," Jane smiled angelically as her sight fell upon the two humans pressed securely between his arms and chest. "You brought lunch, how kind. I'm sure Aro will appreciate the offering."

"They're not lunch," he spat in response as Erica swivelled her head up towards him, panic etched into her features. As much as she feared him, she now feared the pale, red-eyed child more.

"Then what reason have you for bringing humans into our home?" Jane quizzed tauntingly.

"Don't tell me you're ..." Demetri laughed sourly. "Poor Rosalie, she will be disappointed. I see this going a similar way as with Edward's little human flame."

"Demetri, you don't think ... these two?" Jane's tone darkened and twisted, mirroring her expression.

"Wrong again," Emmett replied defensively. "Rosalie's alive?"

"For the time being. Her sentence has been passed," Jane grinned again, delighted by the wild range of emotions in Emmett's eyes. "You won't miss the execution, don't worry about that."

"Execution? You can't do that! Let me see her, Jane," Emmett growled. Erica shuffled uncomfortably at the rumbling in her captor's chest.

"Front row seats for relatives," Alec said a little uninterested. This was nothing new for them, relatives whinging and begging for their partners to be released was an everyday occurrence.

"Take me to Aro, he needs to hear what I know," Emmett demanded, which irritated Jane.

"You will do as we instruct you to do. We are rather parched, they will do for an appetizer," Jane pointed towards Erica. Instantly Emmett pulled Erica behind him, standing firmly in front of her. It was in this moment that Erica realised that Emmett was protecting her, maybe he had not brought her here to die. Maybe he was the good in all of this.

"Leave them Jane. Let me see Rosalie, just let me see her once," he asked again, a little more impatiently.

"ENOUGH! You do not give the orders here, Emmett," Jane spat out his name as though it was laced with poison. "Get them, and follow me."

Erica let out a little squeal as Demetri, Felix and Alec marched towards them.

"Stay close to me," Emmett whispered quickly to Erica as he began to follow Jane out into the corridor. Erica hurried alongside Emmett, keeping close to his side as he had asked, Alyan drawn tightly into her chest.

It wasn't long before Jane was marching them into the grand hall, and into the pits of hell. Marcus sat rather unenthusiastically slumped in his throne, his eyes lightening slightly at the sight, and smell, of Erica. Caius hovered to the left of his throne, showing his annoyance at being so abruptly interrupted. And then there was Aro. His long black cape flowed elegantly down his back, his arms folded in front of his chest as he faced away from them to his own centred throne.

"Well, well. We didn't expect you to be alone, Emmett," Aro mused as he turned slowly to face them. Demetri, Felix and Alec ushered Erica and Emmett into the centre of the large room before dispersing to the sides. "What is the pleasure of your visit?"

"You know why I'm here," Emmett hissed as he quickly scanned the room, taking in the positions of each member of the guard.

"Yes, Rosalie. Shame that you are too late," Aro sneered, taking great delight in the moment he had waited far too long for. "Her sentence is passed."

Emmett growled loudly but held his position. He knew they were only playing with him. He was sure that Rosalie was still alive, Jane would have already had the delight in telling him if she were not.

"Let's not be too hasty, Emmett."Aro entwined his fingers together as he brought them up to his chin.

"Let me see her," Emmett demanded once more, his fists tightening into potentially destructive balls at his sides.

"Why is it that you want?" Aro's eyes narrowed as he contemplated if he should ask to touch Emmett, although that was usually quicker he knew this one would be trouble. He was their fighter, their protector and would not give in easily.

"Thought that would be obvious. Rosalie didn't expose us. I've brought ... the girl so you can see for yourself." Emmett began, quickly deciding it would be best not to give away any knowledge he had of Erica. It would be safer for her that way. "Touch her, nothing more and you'll know too."

"Smart. But I already know what Rosalie has done. I have touched her and seen for myself."Emmett winced slightly at the thought of Aro getting his hands on his wife. "It is irrelevant that this human did not know, but a fact that Rosalie's let her live. Humanity is a poor quality in you Cullen's ... sadly also in Carlisle."

Emmett's teeth clenched tightly together. There was no need to bring the rest of his family into this, especially Carlisle. He was nothing but good, if Rosalie was his angel, then Carlisle was some kind of God. As Emmett concentrated hard on not charging at Aro's throat, it dawned upon him the enormous mistake he had made. He had forgotten entirely that Aro would have touched Rosalie. He would know more about what Rosalie had ever done past and present now, than Emmett would ever know.

"Let him see her, Aro." Marcus mumbled slowly. The dull tone of his voice came as a surprise to Emmett, and brought him back into the room.

"Yes. I agree." Caius added decisively.

"You think that would be wise?" Aro questioned with intrigue in his tone. His eyes searched over Emmett's large physique; he really would be a wonderful asset to his guard.

"He should say goodbye to her, at least for now. He is not here to save her, and they are not here to be punished." Marcus continued.

"We need him on our side if you intend for him to be in our Guard. If it will put his mind at ease that she is alive, then we should allow it," Caius reminded Aro.

"Quite right ..." Aro began, sighing heavily in content.

"Bullshit," Emmett spat, every inch of his body suddenly burning with anger and hatred. "I'm not joining your guard. Forget it."

"Ah, but you will if you want Rosalie to live. I suppose we could postpone her death, but she would remain here as long as you served us. You should be grateful we are offering you this change to save your mate. Many are not given that chance, Emmett." Aro sounded almost remorseful, though he was not.

"My _wife," _Emmett made sure to emphasis what Rosalie was to him. Aro's eyes flashed with anger. For someone as civilised as he believed himself to be, Emmett had hit a point that was difficult for him. Civilised or not, he was still more of an animal than Emmett. Seeing his reaction, Emmett's lips twisted into a winning smile.

"You're nuts if you think I'd leave Rose, but I won't join you." Emmett thought carefully over his options; there had to be another way out of this. "You wanna fight or what? I mean, seriously, what's your plan if I don't join you?"

"Fight?" Aro's tone was curious, if not a little confused as he shuffled awkwardly where he stood, still reeling from Emmett's last dig; he was not so accustomed to personal insults. He had another plan, but that one would be such a shame. Such a waste if they had to be ended.

"You wanna fight you can have one. Either way I'm getting Rosalie." Emmett pushed Aro further.

"We do not want to fight," Caius glared into Emmett's darkening eyes as he slid himself gracefully back into his throne. "At any rate ... you ... would lose."

Emmett scoffed bitterly, lose a fight? Him? Nope, not likely.

"Then Rosalie will die," Aro said in nothing more than a whisper. But it did not escape Emmett's keen ears. That was it. Emmett had had enough. His lips pulled back to reveal his sharp, dagger like teeth. Growls and snarls escaped his lips as every muscle in his body tensed in preparation for battle. But as soon as the first snarl had left him, a line of guards appeared before him, blocking his path to Aro. In the centre of the defensive line stood Felix, his eyes glinting at the possibility of fighting Emmett, the husband of the vampire he so desired.

"What about me?" Erica suddenly interrupted in a small squeak that seemed to get lost in the space between her throat and lips. She quickly took a small step back as all the crimson eyes in the room fell upon her. She had meant that to sound a lot more definite than it had actually come out. Emmett felt his body relax slightly, but his eyes had locked tightly with Felix's, he could see something in them that he feared to know. Something ... no ... not Rosalie. Surely it was nothing to do with Rosalie.

Aro almost appeared to skip as he heard the small human speak at last; he had not forgotten her. His sharp eyes darted between the guards, passing Emmett and settling upon the weak little girl and the bundle in her arms. Young blood was always much more appetising, sweeter.

"She'll keep quiet." Emmett defended Erica, taking a few steps back to close the gap between them. "Take me to Rosalie, Erica comes with me."

Aro paused for a moment.

"The human stays here, and she will be unharmed until you return. We will discuss your future, and hers then. Jane escort our ... visitor to the chamber." Aro instructed feeling a step closer to his goal.

"But ..." Jane began to protest, angry that Emmett seemed to be getting his own way. Was Aro weakening? Surely not ... this must be part of his plan that they were not privy to.

"Do as I say, Jane." Aro's teeth pressed together at her defiance. If Emmett were to be allowed this one favour, he would be indebted to them, and that debt could be repaid by him joining their guard, while he remained assured that Rosalie was still alive and nearby.

Jane blinked several times before lifting her head into the air as though there was a bad smell beneath her. Without another word she strode towards the doorway that concealed the corridor to which Rosalie was locked in.

"Emmett?" Erica called to him, sounding terrified as well as betrayed. He turned to her, smiling softly.

"Don't freak. I'll be back for you. They won't break their promise not to hurt you. Okay?" Emmett leant forwards slightly towards her, offering her encouragement that she so desperately desired. She searched his eyes for any hint of a lie, and once she forced herself to believe him, she nodded shakily and recoiled towards the wall behind her, unchallenged. Jane swung open the door loudly indicating to Emmett that he was to leave her now. In only a few strides, he stood beside Jane before following her into the darkened corridor. Emmett felt his heart leap as he drew in the scent of his wife. She was close. This was it. He had her.

_A/N: Ooooh yeah! Finally managed to bring it to an end! This is the longest chapter yet, so I hope__ you enjoy! Yey to Rosalie and Emmett finally together again, don't think I could take much longer of them being apart to be honest! Please review as I'm rather proud of this chapter, thanks!_


	15. Journeys end in lovers meeting

_A/N: I would really like to take a minute to thank all of you that have been reading from the beginning and review the chapters (and new readers too!) - You guys are fantastic, your reviews are excellent and often make me chuckle, especially when you get confused for a while or get excited. Thank you all so, so much! This chapter is dedicated to you! Kat and Gemma W – thanks for everything as always!_

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

Journeys end in lovers meeting

He wanted to rush, to steal her away, to sweep her up into his arms and run. He wanted to steal her away to a secluded place of their own where no one would ever find them, where no one could rip her from his arms. She would need time, they both would, time to be alone with each other where they could once again feel safe. As Jane led him down the narrow corridor, dotted with large, heavy doors, he pictured that place. It would have the most stunning of sunsets, the whitest of beaches, the clearest and deepest of pure blue seas, and finally, the brightest stars revealing their tinkling splendour at night. Lost amongst his thoughts of just about everything they could get up to in that little piece of heaven, Emmett nearly collided with Jane as she abruptly stopped before him, and swivelled towards the largest of all the doors on their right. He had waited for this moment for far too long, the weeks had felt like years and now she was finally within his reach. Maybe it was because they were two halves of each other, but he could smell her sweet floral scent, but more than that, he could sense her presence almost as though she was breathing gently against his skin. In the moments that they stood there, Jane made several snide comments while the almost thunderous expression on her cold, cruel face only succeeded in amusing Emmett somewhat.

"Open it," he barked impatiently, interrupting Jane's bitter snipes. Emmett's expression was stern and he felt more serious than he could ever remember feeling before.

"How dare you order me?" Jane's angelic voice replied, edged with a sharp, bitter sting. Though she swiftly unlocked the chamber door when she spied Emmett's fist tighten and his lips press into a menacing, hard line. Before Jane had even withdrawn her hand, Emmett barged past her, sending Jane's small figure back against the door frame. His eyes narrowed, glaring into Jane's as he turned to kick the door shut after him. As it slammed shut, locking Jane away from them, a figure darted past him, brushing against the muscles of his back. Fully expecting to see Rosalie, a wide, almost relieved grin spread across his face as he turned to take her up into his arms ... but she was not there. His eyes still narrowed, his brow furrowed into a suspicious frown. Rosalie was fast when she wanted to be, but almost never fast enough to avoid his sharp eyes. Before he could spend too much time wondering if it was her, or someone else that had touched him, he heard the distinctive clanking of keys as Jane locked him in. He waited for a split moment, willing Jane to leave them, though it seemed she had no intention of leaving them completely alone this night. It was in this moment that he felt a small hand take hold of his larger one, and the gentle, loving touch reinforced to him that it was his wife's. Once again, his eyes darted to the hand that had been held, but to his surprise once again, he was holding nothing. For some unknown reason, his senses suddenly encouraged him to be wary, not that he listened to them very often ... but something here, something seemed out of place.

"Babe?" he called out, his eyes darting up from his tensed hand and falling upon the wall at his side. It was what his eyes saw there that further fuelled his strange feelings of concern. From the top of the wall to the very bottom, there seemed to be what Emmett could only describe as scratches, ones that were certainly not created by human hands, but by stronger, panicked ones. It didn't take him long to notice that buried within every other engraving in the stone, were tiny specks of blood. At the sight of them, the very familiar burning ache at the back of his throat began to taunt him. He hadn't thought it possible, but his already narrowed eyes narrowed further as he forced himself to ignore it, and repeatedly swallowed so as to wash away the venom collecting rapidly in his pallet. In an attempt to steady his desire for the blood, he drew in several deep breaths, a method Alice had been desperately trying to teach him to curb his instincts for fighting, and was quickly assaulted by the strong, overpowering scent of old, dry blood and decomposition. Swiftly, and all too naturally, his eyes darted down in the direction of the scents. And there, amongst the debris from the wall lay the culprit. If his heart had the capacity to beat, it would have stopped. His breathing would have caught in his throat as chills would have run wildly through him. None of which happened, of course. But there was no question in his mind that this small human was not already dead; though for some reason he felt the urge to check. Quickly bending down, and holding his breath, he nudged the boy's head aside. He had expected to see a torn, ripped neck, but it was perfectly intact. He eyes flew across the body as he wondered why the Volturi would have left a dead human in here, and finally resting his eyes upon the wrists. Beneath the swirls of drying blood he could clearly see a perfect curve of teeth marks that cut deep into the soft flesh, but what shook him more, was that the bite looked hauntingly familiar. But just as he was about to piece the puzzle before him together, a small voice whispered to him, _'No'. _

"Rose?" He flew to his feet, spinning around expectantly again, but no reply came, and he stood alone once more. It quickly dawned on him that in the few minutes he had been here, he had not actually seen Rosalie. What had they done to his angel? She was no ghost ... or was she? Had Aro promised that he could see Rosalie alive? Or just that he could _see_ her. These flash-by thoughts began a wave of panic that raged through him, igniting flames of betrayal, and encouraging the flicker of hate he felt for the Volturi.

"Don't look at him, Emmett. Baby, look at me," her voice came again.

"Rosalie?" Hastily he searched the seemingly empty room again, and before he knew it he felt her tiny arms reach around his waist, encasing him in an embrace.

"Yes," she replied in a faint whisper that unveiled every emotion spiralling within her; love, loss, relief, delight, pity and he was certain he could even sense hate. He felt Rosalie bend slightly as she firmly pressed her head against his back, her tiny hands strained in an attempt to meet across his broad chest. His eyes darted to the angel-like fingers across him, and as he took in the beauty they beheld, an assortment of his own emotions surged uncontrollably through him. He wanted to speak but it seemed his lips, vocal cords and brain couldn't co-operate with each other to form those words. His eyelids closed, his head fell back as a wide smile spread across his face. For a moment, a seemingly endless moment, they were silent.

"Thank God you're alright," he eventually managed to say, his voice deep with delight at having her touch him again, having her near him again. Damn it, just knowing she was alive!

"I'd thank _God_ for nothing." Emmett didn't pick up on the sorrow in her tone this time; only that her voice enchanted his senses once again. Full of excitement, he attempted to manoeuvre himself around to face her, but each move he made resulted in her grip on him tightening, refusing to allow him to move.

"I'll thank Buddha, Jesus, all the freaking saints if I want! Do you have any idea how much I have missed you? It makes me crazy!" He tried again in vain to loosen her arms, to turn to see her, and a small, rough laugh forced its way out. "If you want me to look at you, then let go."

Rosalie was silent, her eyes closed, and her heart heavy ... She feared him seeing her now.

"Just let me hold you," her silky voice whispered. Though Emmett was having none of it,

"What's going on, babe?" he insisted, sensing that something was seriously wrong; normally she would have kissed every inch of his body by now, and he would have ... well, it was definitely no secret what he would have been doing to her.

"Please." This time her voice was firmer, more demanding than requesting. As she spoke again, Emmett's eyes searched their surroundings and once again they fell upon the human. Almost like a bullet from a gun, it suddenly made sense to him; the Volturi had not left the human in here after death, and Rosalie wanting to hide herself from him in silence spoke a thousand words. He sighed heavily at the realisation of what had happened, and quickly decided it was best to remain silent and allow her this moment. He knew full well that once she was ready, she would take the first step and come to him.

"I'm sorry," her voice cracked when she finally spoke again, as it seemed did the little faith she had remaining within her. Her grasp loosened as she turned away from him, and instantly he spun around. He had wanted to plant a kiss on her lips, but instead was being greeted by the back of her head, much to his disappointment.

"Don't worry about it," he said softly, smoothly gliding over to her and placing one hand on her arm while the other slid around her waist, pulling her into him. "We've all slipped, babe."

"NO ... I haven't! I've never killed a ... a ..." she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. She wanted so much to cry, to feel the humanity of tears. To be reminded that she was not entirely savage. Away from his sight, her lips quivered as she tried hard to hide her anguish. Her eyes shut tightly to escape the visions of what she had been forced to do. Though, each time they fluttered shut, she was relentlessly reminded of the images of blood and death.

"Down to luck. You're strong and ..." he paused, his brow pinching together into a frown. "Rosalie? How did this happen?"

Rosalie pulled herself away from Emmett, her head falling into her hands as she crouched down, her head falling against the wall. She had dreaded him knowing the truth, dreaded him seeing her, but also she had dreaded having to tell him. Her elbows pulled inwards, trapping her head within them.

"He was a baby, Emmett. A child!" she cried, before slamming one of her dainty fists into the wall, causing the wall to shake and several loose chippings of stone to fall away.

"Babe!" He darted to her side, kneeling down by her as he desperately tried to see his wife's face. "It's done."

"Done?" she cried again, her body convulsing as though she should have been drowning them both in tears. "I hate myself!"

He gathered her up into his arms as her body refused to stay strong any longer, and she began to crumble to the ground. "I don't hate you."

"You should! How can I be a mother now? How can the family forgive me for all I have done? ... Why do you still love me?" Her voice was raised amongst the sobs that jolted their way through her. Everything she had tried hard to keep hidden the last few weeks burst to the surface.

"I am always going to love you. Screw the rest that'll sort itself out." Emmett tried hard to comfort her.

"The Volturi want me dead! Jane wants me dead, they all do! I can't imagine that our family want me back after what I've done. What about Renesmee? I didn't even think what this could mean for her!" She continued, trying hard to pull away from his loving hold. But each struggle she made only forced him to hold onto her tighter.

"You're wrong Rose. They're coming, all of them. 'Cause they wouldn't leave you here," he reassured her, for what little good it seemed to be doing. "You gotta stop, this won't help."

He ran one hand over her hair, smoothing it down against her. This time she didn't answer, and instead allowed him to cradle, comfort and love her. As he remained kneeling, with Rosalie finally surrendering and sat between his legs, he pulled her tighter into his arms and listened to her pained screams for what seemed an eternity. The room echoed with her cries, shaking him to the core as he struggled to hear his wife hurting so much.

"Rose," he brushed aside the strands of hair that hid her face once she had calmed, and tried again. "Tell me what happened, babe."

Slowly, she lifted her head allowing him to see her. He felt his chest crush slightly at the sight of her dark crimson eyes staring up at him, her skin purer and smoother than ever, and despite her emotional wreckage, she gleamed an exquisite beauty. For a moment, he could see the shame in her eyes as she revealed why she hadn't wanted him to see her. But he didn't care what she had done, that her eyes showed her betrayal to herself, he only cared that he could make this better.

"I killed him," she suddenly answered darkly and in a manner that forced his head back a little, and his eyes to narrow along with hers. "I sucked the life out him."

"I doubt you just did it, that's not you." He shook his head, still unable to take his eyes off her.

She sat herself up as to be level with his perfect, masculine face, "What is me, exactly? I'd love to know..."

Rosalie pulled herself to her feet and brushed her lose hair over her shoulder. Her stern glare snapped away from Emmett and to the body that until now she had been unable to face. Slightly alarmed by sudden change in moods, Emmett's eyes followed hers.

"Don't. Don't do it to yourself," he muttered softly, his eyes falling to the floor beneath his grounded feet. Rosalie stared at the lifeless body.

"Can you smell it? I can," she replied monotonously, her slender figure frozen in place. A small, sharp sigh escaped Emmett's lips as he twisted his head to see her.

"Smell what?" he frowned.

"Him," her voice quavered once again. "Death, rotting, decomposition, murder."

Emmett jumped to his feet and in a single stride stood between Rosalie and the boy. She watched him for a moment, confused by his sudden enthused activity. With one hand, he tugged at his black leather jacket, showing it to her, before pulling it from his back.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her eyes flitting between his.

"Fixing this," he said confidently as he flung his jacket behind him. Typically, it landed perfectly where he had intended it too; over the human boy.

Rosalie watched as the jacket floated and smothered the body beneath it, she wanted to sigh, but she couldn't. "His name was Arturo."

A small, sympathetic smile nudged the corners of his lips as he nodded vaguely; he could see she was finally ready to talk. But before _he_ was ready for the heavy stuff, there was one thing he desperately craved first. He spent a moment gauging her mood before swiftly stepping forwards, wrapping one arm around her waist as he pulled her to him, while the other rested gently along her jaw line. He didn't even give her a moment to realise what was happening before he had bent down and pressed his lips to hers. He had intended it to be a soft, understanding kiss, but as their lips collided the sparks they had missed for so long ignited. Feeling him need her as much as she knew she needed him, Rosalie wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him harder with a fiery passion that she had wondered if she would ever feel again. Slowly they brought themselves back into the room, steadily and unwillingly parting their lips. Emmett's hand that was busy caressing Rosalie's cheek reached up to swipe away golden strands of hair from her eyes, tucking them behind her ears, and kissing stealing another quick kiss.

"So, what happened?" he braved the question again, letting his arms fall down over her body before they rested at his sides.

"Felix happened," she responded bitterly as she lifted one hand to rub along her forehead.

"Felix?" Emmett shot back, his eyes flashing slightly as he imagined a hundred things he could blame Felix for, their earlier meeting, and the things he may have done to Rosalie. His teeth gritted together, already gathering hate for him. "What did he do?"

Rosalie quickly composed herself while she searched for a way to tell her husband the awful events, without having to actually see them in her mind's eye; though she quickly realised that that was a near impossibility.

"Don't get mad, I can't deal with that now too," she looked to him, pleading with her crimson eyes. "He made it difficult for me, that's all."

Emmett's slightly widened eyes burned into Rosalie's, demanding answers that she seemed to be taking her time to get out, "What the hell. Did. He. Do?"

"You promised not to get mad," she reminded him in a slightly desperate tone. She knew he needed to know, but was well aware of his whirlwind temperament when it came to anyone hurting his family.

"Nope, I didn't." He shook his head, trying to keep his cool. Rosalie's eyes were drawn to Emmett's clenched fists. If he was mad at the mention of Felix's name, how on earth was he going to manage with the truth? She took another deep breath as she recalled to him every moment since she had been gone; from her fight with Felix, to her agreeing to go with him, his wandering hands and inappropriate comments. It had taken her some extra strength when she got to the point of her refusal of Felix, and how he had sliced the boy's wrists in anger leaving him bleeding while she had been so starving.

"That's it. That's everything," she said, seemingly exhausted at having to face it all at last. But somehow, it seemed so much easier when he was here to hold her up.

"I'm gonna kill him," Emmett growled, almost spitting feathers. His features had darkened with every little detail Rosalie had revealed, each of his muscles had tightened in anger.

"I tore off his arm," Rosalie smiled, searching Emmett's eyes for the enjoyment she knew he would get out of that.

Emmett breathed loudly for a moment before answering, a half smile twisting his features. "That's my girl. But they aren't getting away with it. I'm taking them down."

"Yes, WE will if we get out of here," Rosalie promised. She reached out, taking hold of one of his fists, remembering how long she had been without him, and missed him terribly.

"I very much doubt that," Jane spat as she rejoined them, Felix and Alec in tow. Emmett span on his heels, stepping back to shield Rosalie from her. But this time, it was not Jane he was concerned with and his sight homed in on the tall, red-eyed freak.

"How dare you touch my wife?" he spat and snarled, lowering his torso in preparation for the kill. Felix, who stood safely behind Jane, grinned with dead eyes.

"Wife!" Alec laughed.

"They really do think they are human," Jane answered slowly, patronising them with delight. Rosalie wrapped her long fingers around Emmett's biceps both to hold him back, and to calm him.

"She wasn't worth it," Felix lied, glancing tauntingly at Rosalie. That just about did it. Emmett snarled, baring his teeth, his breathing erratic and his eyes wild. Forgetting momentarily that he was standing there to protect Rosalie, he darted forwards. Jane, who had been eyeing Rosalie, shifted her gaze to Emmett, blinking only once.

"Emmett, no!" Rosalie called out after her husband, but it was too late. Jane locked him in her sphere of tormenting pain. Emmett stumbled instantly, his body contorting as it silently screamed the suffering it suddenly found itself being inflicted with. Rosalie's wide eyes shot daggers at Jane, knowing there was nothing she could do ease it for him.

"Stop it," she snapped at Jane, panic evident features. But Jane refused to release her captive, taking such evident satisfaction in her games. Felix grinned a sinister smile, his hand reaching up to his still sore and healing shoulder. He was not going to ask Jane to stop this time, not like he had before when it was Rosalie she was toying with. But Rosalie was not going to give in and allow this. "I'm warning you. Let him go!"

"JAAAAAANE!" Aro's voice echoed towards them, his agitation difficult to miss. Instantly, and clearly a little startled, Jane blinked setting Emmett free. He fell to the ground with a thud, panting as the pain left him. Rosalie scurried to his side, placing one hand on his back and the other across his chest to support him; how strange that she be supporting him so soon after he had been the one supporting her. Emmett snarled, still refusing to admit that he could be defeated by a stupid child. Rosalie whispered in his ear, something only she knew could calm him.

"You and me, remember, against it all."

"We had best see what he wants, Jane," Alec mused rather unenthusiastically. "Aro sounds ... displeased."

"Yes, very well." As the others left, Jane hovered for a moment, her evil eyes meeting with Rosalie's. Rosalie felt her stomach turn as she bravely challenged her in return. With a single naked snarl, Jane twirled, pulling the door shut behind her with an almighty crash.

Finally, they were alone again. But as they remained froze in their places, their unnecessary choppy and agitated breathing was the only sound to be heard. They both knew that this was only the beginning.


	16. A plague on both your houses

_A/N – Just going to put it out there ... I LOVE TANGLED! Anyway, on with the story ..._

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

A plague on both your houses

"We need to keep as quiet as possible," Carlisle murmured gently to his gathering family. "If they don't already know we are here, they soon will. It would be in our best interests to do this as smoothly and quietly as possible."

"I'm not sure that's _going_ to be possible," Edward murmured, clearly a little disheartened.

"Edward's right, they have numbers on their side, not to mention a wider range of 'gifts'." Jasper aired his strategic concerns aloud as Alice bounded silently to his side. "It would have been to our advantage to call upon our allies."

"Ask the other clans, like before?" Alice mused, her eyes darting between Jasper and Carlisle. "I can't imagine they would all be so willing this time. But I could try and see ..."

"No, Alice. Thank you, but there isn't much we can do about that now."Carlisle smiled faintly as Esme and Bella flew down the corridor to join them, but his smile disappeared almost as soon as it had arrived only to be replaced by a thoughtful frown.

"Is it worth waiting to see if they would? We really have rushed in much quicker than we had hoped to." Esme spoke softly, flitting to her husband's side as one hand brushing lovingly across Bella's shoulders. "I just want Emmett and Rose back safely."

"We're already here. It would take too long," Jasper said a little too harshly, his wavy blond hair bouncing as he shook his head, and earned himself a raised eyebrow from his mother, and a gentle nudge from Alice. "Sorry, just saying."

"If Emmett hadn't charged off with his own agenda, then maybe we would have had time." Bella flicked a curl of hair from her eyes and adjusted her devilish outfit. She wasn't angry at Emmett, although it came across to the others in that manner; she was more concerned that his diversion from their plan was putting them all at even more at risk.

"There is no need to discuss that now. We all know we would have done the same if it was us. Emmett has only acted as he thought best for Rosalie." Carlisle looked to them each in turn. "It is irrelevant at this point if he was right or wrong to do so."

He paused for a moment, a thoughtful frown further creasing his brow. "Maybe we could ask the others for assistance. If we succeed in bringing Emmett and Rosalie back ..."

"And Erica and Alyan," Esme remained her husband gently.

"Of course. If we do succeed, then I cannot see Aro simply allowing us to walk free from this. He has too much pride." Carlisle's head shook slightly, though as his eyes shifted to the ground deep in thought, he seemed not to notice the minor reactions his body was making in response. "We could ask for help from the other clans after this is over. It may be tricky to find them all again, but it may be necessary ..."

"We can't." Alice's eyes glazed over suddenly as she fell into a vision that seemed to have sneaked up on her. After a moment, she rejoined them, glancing up towards Jasper with alarm swirling in her eyes. "It was Aro, he has a plan for Rosalie, something about ... it was hard to tell, and he's coding his meanings. He thinks Emmett would be useful to his guard but knows without Rosalie, Emmett would never agree."

"We _hope_ he wouldn't," Edward added, only divulging aloud the thoughts his family were too afraid to speak themselves for fear of it being true.

"That's the thing, Aro already seems to think he will," Alice continued. "And I can see now why my vision was blocked before. Marcus mentioned a shape-shifter, something about starving, it being dead, and in his way."

Edward and Jasper shared a humorous look as they chuckled silently at the images that created for them both in their minds' eye. But Esme was quick to send them both a look intended to silence them, and focus them upon the mission at hand. Unsurprisingly, it was most effective.

"Where did they get a shape-shifter?" Bella frowned as she tucked herself under Edward's arm.

"That's not important now, but it does leave us with less time. Aro will know we are nearby." Carlisle glanced quickly up the corridor, sure that his sharp ears had heard a small movement. Alice's eyes that had suddenly filled with intrigue, glanced behind her, also aware of shuffling, before cutting back to Carlisle.

"We don't have much time," she said, once Carlisle turned back to them after making sure they were safe for now.

"Alice, have you seen Rosalie or Emmett?" He seemed to ignore Alice's previous comment, but it was forgivable, he had a lot to be dealing with presently.

"Both alive at the moment," Alice smiled, sending a little ray of hope to each of them in turn.

"Erica and Alyan?" The motherly concern in Esme's voice came as no surprise to them. "Are they alright? Where are they?"

"They're already here," Jasper's voice echoed towards them from behind. He appeared out of a side doorway and swiftly made his way back to the group, a little less reassured by the surprised expressions on their faces; they were clearly baffled that they had not seen him leave in the first place.

Each pair of golden eyes glanced down to the large shape in Jasper's hands, and he raised it towards them. "Baby carrier, I believe."

"Oh no," Esme said breathlessly, her warm features creasing with growing concern for their safety. She flitted down the corridor, past Jasper and into the doorway he had come from. It was barely a moment before she left the room again and returned to the group. "Volturi scent, they already have them. I am sure of it."

"They can't be far ahead of us." Carlisle quickly scanned the corridor once more, allowing himself a few moments to decide their best course of action. The plan they had devised before leaving Forks was now certainly going to be ineffective, mostly as it involved having Emmett as their heavy man. "Bella, can you go left at the end of this corridor and search for Rosalie there? If I recall correctly, I am sure there are old cell blocks there somewhere."

"Alone?" Edward interjected, understandably concerned for his wife's safety here more than anywhere.

"Edward, we will require all the 'gifts' we have if it turns sour with Aro." Carlisle's mind worked fast, hurriedly assessing a new plan for them. After all, he knew Volterra and the ways of the Volturi better than any of his family. Yet, he knew that no matter how precisely he planned their actions, he could never second guess Aro's.

"Edward, don't. You know I can do this." Bella spoke up firmly.

"Bella will be able to protect Rosalie with her power. We don't know her condition, Edward, she may need help." Carlisle helped Bella with gentle persuasion.

Edward breathed slowly, deeply and heavily as he searched for any reason not to be separated from Bella. He came up with many, though none that would not be perceived only as selfish.

"Alright, but be careful," he finally managed to say. His hardened expression creased slightly as he drew Bella into him, lowered his head and pressed his lips to her soft, familiar ones.

"I will." Bella stole one more kiss from her soulmate before dashing away from them. As she reached the end of the corridor she paused, bowed her head modestly and whispered, "I love you all."

As Bella's tiny footsteps faded, Esme felt a twinge in her chest as another of her children disappeared from the safety of her sight. "What are we to do, love?"

"We are going to see Aro." Carlisle straightened himself up, preparing for their next, and certainly more challenging task.

"Wait ..." Jasper suddenly hissed, protectively pushing Alice behind him. Carlisle, recognising the tone of Jasper's voice quickly placed himself beside Esme, who had managed to drift away from him at some point. Edward froze, pricking his ears. Footsteps. Two sets.

"This way," Jasper called, already heading into the side room where he had found Alyan's carrier. He was speedily followed by the others, and they quickly fell silent, disappearing from sight, sound and danger.

"The carrier!" Esme hissed after a few seconds, suddenly realising it had been forgotten in the hurry to hide.

"Forget it, it's too late," Edward whispered as he became aware of the thoughts growing in volume from whoever it was approaching them.

"Why do we get this ghastly task?" A female voice echoed towards them.

"Heidi," Carlisle recognised.

"Stop complaining. Better than listening to Aro changing his mind every five minutes about the darn Cullens," a male voice joined in, which both Carlisle and Edward recognised as Santiago's; one of the guard. "We only have to dump this body in the woods. It's not that difficult, Heidi."

The Cullens waited as one figure passed the doorway. It was Santiago, and he seemed to be carrying one half of an extremely large metal cage. In the cage lay the malnourished and deceased body of a human. Esme lowered her eyes, realising it must have been the shape-shifter Alice had referred to earlier.

"Wait." Heidi paused at the entrance to the Cullen's makeshift hideout. "Smell that?"

"Smell what?" Santiago sniffed the air loudly before a soft growl rumbled through him. "Cullens."

Before another word could even be spoken, Jasper and Edward propelled themselves forwards, bursting through the doorway and lunging at the Volturi guards. Edward launched straight for Heidi, landing atop the cage before flipping down off it and taking hold of Heidi's head between his palms. There was a screech of what can only be described as nails down a chalk board as Heidi's head stretched, cracked and tore away from her neck. Her body flopped to the ground as her half of the cage came down over her. Edward reached out, catching the bottom before it smashed against the marble flooring. Jasper had glided under the cage and behind Santiago before he had even realised he was under attack. Wrapping one arm around his throat, Jasper also ripped away Santiago's head, silencing him instantly.

"Sorted," Jasper announced proudly, his eyes darkening at what could have been their exposure. Carlisle reached into his pocket to pull out the lighter he had not forgotten to bring, and peered through the bars of the cage now being held by Jasper and Edward. He didn't relish the idea of killing the two guards, but he knew they could not risk being seen this early on.

"Makes our job easier later on," Edward grinned as he coordinated with Jasper to set down the cage. "What do you want to do with them Carlisle?"

"Bring the bodies in here ..." He paused, his reluctance obvious in his pained features. "I suppose we must burn them."

Alice and Esme shimmied out of the door and past the cage, allowing Edward and Jasper to throw Heidi and Santiago's bodies into the room before heading back for the cage. It took them a few moments to manoeuvre it to an angle that would fit through the doorway, before they bent the bars and placed the guards atop the shape-shifter.

"What are you doing?" Alice asked as she looked on.

"He is dead, Alice. We might as well cremate him too," Jasper responded, his eyes looking softly to her.

"We can't linger here any longer." With that, Carlisle flicked his lighter and sent it spinning through the air, between the bars and onto Santiago's torso. As he caught light, they began their trail to the Volturi.

Naturally Carlisle headed the march forwards, followed closely by Edward and Jasper. Trailing behind them, and rather concerned about the whole situation, Esme sprinted at a consistently fast pace but keeping up with ease. Carlisle, who was clearly following the scent of the Volturi, or that of blood, directed them easily through the maze of tunnels and passages. After a few minutes of sprinting and navigating their way, Edward, Alice, Carlisle and Esme finally reached a slightly more open area, one that was all too familiar for some, and in the centre of the oval space stood the seemingly out of place modern doors to an elevator; the very elevator that would lead them directly into the pit of vampiric hell. After quickly checking the passage was clear, Carlisle ushered them into the elevator, pressed the only button to what seemed the only floor, and while the doors glided shut, they waited. As they stood huddled together, and slightly amused by the hauntingly calming music that played down on them, their nerves began to tremble. Jasper wondered which of his strategic battle formations would work here, Alice was trying not to see the future as it lay presently, Esme was trying desperately not to imagine the death of one of her children, while Carlisle ... Edward could not listen to his thoughts this time. His pain forced his eyes to narrow as he seemed unable to prevent himself from hearing the thoughts he had never wanted to hear from his closest companions, no, his family. It must only have been about thirty seconds from the elevator doors closing until they reopened once again, but the misleadingly sturdy hands, belonging to several sturdy bodies, reached for someone to hold. Alice entwined her fingers with Jasper's, Carlisle reached for Esme's, while her free hand took a firm hold of Edward's. Each movement was so subtle, that human eyes would have missed them. After leaving the elevator, they began again through the long, narrow corridor. Though they walked as those who have been already been sentenced to death; silent and reflective, until they reached the reception area.

"May I help you?" a sweet human voice rang out. The young girl, who appeared to be no older than sixteen or seventeen, rose gracefully from her seat while placing both hands on the crisp white table before her. Her emerald green eyes shone at the obvious delight at having a party to greet, her cropped blond hair bounced about her ears as she stood, her plump red lips parted in a genuine and oblivious to danger smile.

'_Not the same girl,'_ Alice thought to herself, taking in the feminine beauty of this human.

"No, she will be long ... you know," Edward answered, too silently for the girl to hear. During their last visit here there had been a human receptionist, Gianna, who they knew had expressed a desire to be made immortal. Yet they both knew that her wish would not have been granted. Edward slowed his pace and headed towards her desk, as did Alice, Esme and Jasper. Carlisle, however, continued down the corridor in a manner that failed to match his usual charm when arriving somewhere. Esme's eyes darted between the human and her husband, suddenly unsure who she should go to, and quickly flashed a delightful smiled back to the human. Alice, Edward and Jasper flawlessly, and rather rapidly, changed their direction as they realised that Carlisle was not stopping, and headed away from the human.

"Excuse me, sir? NO! Please! You can't go in there!" the human politely informed Carlisle. However, as she stumbled to get past her desk in an attempt to stop him, Carlisle halted abruptly, swivelled on his heels and addressed the girl.

"Cullen party to see the Volturi? Thank you," and with that he turned back, knocked once on the large, stylish looking double doors, and flung them open.

"Aro," Carlisle announced rather than greeted. "I believe you have my daughter."

Aro, Marcus and Caius stood together in the centre of the large hall, clearly amidst an important discussion. To their left stood Sulpicia, Athenodora and Renata who were also huddled together, all holding crystal goblets filled with fresh blood. To the right of the room stood several other members of the guard including Demetri, Chelsea, Afton and Corin. At the sound of the doors being flung open, they had all turned to see who it was that dared to disturb them unannounced. Aro, who remained the only body not to turn around, smiled knowingly.

"Carlisle, a pleasure to see you once again, my friend." He drew his hands together against his chest before turning slowly to see his newly arrived visitors. "I must admit, this is not your usual greeting to me, but all the same I have prepared a little something for you."

Aro gracefully waved one hand towards Chelsea, who was carefully holding a silver serving tray. On the plate stood six tall goblets, and just like Sulpicia, Athenodora and Renata's goblets, they were half filled with fresh, crimson blood. Chelsea, whose expression did not change from her usual vacant one, glided over to Carlisle and offered the tray out to him.

"No, thank you," Carlisle refused, keeping his eyes firmly on Aro and knowing full well it was not animal blood. Behind him, Alice took hold of Jasper's hand and squeezed it tightly, offering him the strength and support to ignore the strong scent that wafted towards them. Esme and Edward moved swiftly forwards, placing themselves at Carlisle's flanks; Esme on his left, and Edward on his right. "We have important matters to discuss."

Aro sighed deliberately as he once again waved a hand indicating for Chelsea to take away his offerings. "I see you brought the family. Delightful."

"We brought ourselves," Edward replied slowly, carefully. Aro's eyes darted quickly to Edward.

"AH ... And where is ... _Isabella_?" He accented Bella's name with a perfect Italian twist as he steadily counted each member of the Cullen clan before him.

"She remained at home," Esme chimed, suddenly feeling a little defensive.

"I see." It was obvious that Aro was not sure if he should believe her or not. "And little Renesmee?"

"Also at home," Carlisle took over again for his family. "Aro, I request immediately to see Rosalie."

"I am sorry, Carlisle," Aro shook his head. Worry suddenly flashed in each member of the Cullen clan's eyes. "She is rather busy at the moment with Emmett. I think they need a moment, don't you?"

"With all due respect, Aro, they can have all the moments they wish once this is sorted. Please summon them," Carlisle insisted.

"You are an old friend to me, and it pains me so to see you so clearly distressed. But this is my home, and you will abide by my rules." Aro shifted slightly, clearly irritated by Carlisle's unusually demanding attitude.

"Then you will tell us why you have decided to abduct my daughter from our home and bring her here." Carlisle continued.

"I did no such thing." Aro replied in pretend surprise at Carlisle's accusations. "Rosalie came willingly."

"I doubt that," Jasper mumbled, his eyes fixated on Aro, his hand still in the grasp of Alice's.

"Quite so, she came of her own accord, friends." As Aro spoke, Marcus backed away to his throne before slowly placing himself on it.

"We're _not_ your friends," Edward snarled uncontrollably, memories of his last visit here playing so evidently on him. Carlisle reached out an arm towards him to steady his son's emotions.

Aro ignored Edward's low snarls as he deliberated how to avoid telling Carlisle exactly what his plans for the Cullen's were. He knew he would have to tell them something, and he also was sure that Carlisle would have an inkling that he planned to end them and keep the pieces for himself. The silence in the room became tense, taut with confusion and hostility, and he quickly decided that Jane should explain her reasons for taking Rosalie, not him. Although they had displeased him somewhat when Jane had uncovered them to him initially, he knew Carlisle would be more pleased with those motives rather than his own.

"Jane," Aro raised his voice slightly, calling out towards the doors that concealed Jane, Alec, Felix, Emmett and Rosalie.

"Aro," Carlisle calmed himself, knowing it would get them nowhere to be riled up. "I know we have had our ... misunderstandings over the recent years, but I must assure you that my family pose no threat to your coven."

"I am sure that you do not," he lied maliciously. "Once Jane explains why she invited Rosalie here, you shall see our reasons in a very different light."

"Why don't you tell us? Why wait for Jane?" Jasper asked, curiosity and mistrust taking hold of him. Aro's wide eyes snapped to Jasper.

"Control your coven, Carlisle," he instructed through gritted teeth, before once again calling for Jane a little louder. "Jane!"

"Demetri, fetch Jane would you?" Caius asked, not wanting to listen to Aro's calls anymore.

"No, Demetri. She will come." Aro was sure she would; when had Jane ever _not_ listened to him? Caius sighed with deliberate anger as Aro overthrew his orders. Demetri hovered, unsure whose orders to obey, and quickly deciding that Aro held more power, he refused to move and bowed his head slightly towards Caius.

"You are wasting our time, Aro. Tell them what we plan to do and be done with it," Marcus droned, losing interest in what he decided was a stagnant conversation.

"JAAAAAAAANE!" Aro screamed, losing a little self control and startling almost everyone in the room. He smiled unnervingly towards Carlisle. "I had expected you to come."

Everyone who had jumped at Aro's outburst took a quick moment to steady themselves. But it was how quickly he had calmed himself again that confused them slightly, and crimson and golden eyes darted about the room a little baffled.

"I don't doubt that you did. I am sorry it is not once again on friendlier terms, but you must understand..." Carlisle began before Edward bluntly interrupted,

"Our family comes first."

"Edward, please son," Carlisle asked softly before thinking, _'Don't read my thoughts, son.'_

"Your family is important to you," Aro swept his arm around the room, showing Carlisle each member of his coven. "As is mine to me."

Jasper scoffed, knowing that Aro's family was only important to keep him in power. That, and it was not a 'family', not like theirs. Aro's eyes appeared to darken, his smile almost vacant.

"You laugh, Jasper?" he began.

"Master?" Jane asked as she glided into the room, followed closely by Felix and Alec. She paused instantly as she spied the party of vegetarians. "Oh, I see..."

"Yes Jane, I am glad that you see. Where were you?" Aro asked in a bitter sweet tone that seemed almost too pleasant.

"I was with," Jane's eyes flitted unsurely between the Cullens and Aro, "... the prisoners, sir."

"Very good, Jane," Aro quickly made his way to Jane's side, placing one hand gently on her shoulder. "Now, why don't you tell our friends here about your little ... encounter ... with Rosalie?"

A small smile that began with Jane's eyes cut itself into her features, and she fixed her sights upon Carlisle. "You see I was aware of her little incident with the humans, and you know that is a punishable offence..."

"She knows what she did was wrong," Esme hastily interrupted, shifting her gaze from Jane's now angry eyes to Aro. She bravely took a small step forwards, standing side by side with her husband.

"We had addressed the issue. The human knew nothing of whom we are or what had happened, and she was content to believe it was a trick of the mountains," Carlisle informed them, but Aro did not react; he did not move, breathe, blink or twitch as the Cullens were so accustomed to doing. Jane snapped her head up towards Aro, silently asking him to scold them for interrupting her, but instead, he spread out a hand towards her, stopping her internal annoyance. "Take my hand, Aro. You are welcome to see for yourself. We have nothing to hide from you, as I would expect you not to hide anything for us. From me."

"Of course," Aro said after a long moment of silence. Carlisle stepped forwards, against the whispered '_no'_ from his family and their slight movements of discomfort. Aro took several steps also, eventually meeting Carlisle in the centre of the great hall. Their eyes bore into each others, part hatred, part anger, and part friendship that was respected and remembered. Aro reached out, taking hold of Carlisle's hand, closed his eyes, and saw:

"_Where am I?" Erica asked panicked and flustered as she awoke in a strange, white room. "Heaven?"_

_Carlisle chuckled remembering how Emmett had mistaken his first sights of the family as angels and Gods of Heaven, "I have heard that before. But no, this is not heaven. You're quite alive."_

"_It's okay, you're in our home. I am Esme Cullen and this is my husband, Carlisle. Our adopted children, Alice and her partner Jasper," Alice smiled sweetly and waved towards Erica while Jasper simply nodded. "Edward, our son, his wife Bella and their daughter Renesmee."_

"_Oh, I see. The mountains, that blond woman ... what? How? What happened ... I, I ... my baby!" The girl panicked, pushing herself up from the sofa and glancing around the room. _

"_Not to worry, he is fine," Esme reassured her again._

"_Please, I need him. Bring him to me," she pleaded again. Esme stood slowly and turned to Alice, while her hands worked hard to sit the girl back down and calm her._

"_Alice, please bring the baby." She said gently. Alice nodded, smiled and sauntered at a human pace out of the room. She returned quickly, cradling the baby in her arms._

"_Thank you, thank you so much! Is he okay?" Erica asked, stumbling over her words as she reached out to take her child from Alice._

"_He is fine," Alice smiled. "Does he have a name?"_

"_Alyan," Erica replied. It was obvious to the bodies in the room that Erica should have smiled as she said her son's name, but instead, tears formed in her eyes."How did I get here?"_

_Carlisle stepped forwards, making eye contact with the frightened girl."You said your name was Erica?"_

"_Yes. Was I sleep-talking again?" She asked, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment._

"_It's no problem. We have ... all sorts going on here. It's nothing to worry about." Carlisle smiled softly at his private joke before continuing. "Erica, you were in the mountains when my daughter, Rosalie, found you. I am surprised you were so high up. The air is very thin up there, it makes it difficult for the human body to breathe. I hope you don't mind, but I checked you over to make sure you are well." _

"_You're a doctor?" Erica assumed, yet still felt the need to question._

"_I am. I believe you lost consciousness ..." he began to explain again, but was quickly interrupted by the shaking Erica._

"_That woman! There was a woman, she threw my husband off the cliff! She ... she took Alyan, held me to the ground!" she recalled, panic shaking her tone._

"_No, I think it was an effect of the air. It can have that effect when it thins. Your husband is at the hospital. From what I could tell of his injuries, it looked as though he slipped from where you were both standing," Carlisle explained as he concocted a string of falsities. Erica sat upright, shifting Alyan to a more comfortable position. _

"_I ... erm, are you ... are you sure? I mean ... It seemed pretty real," she mumbled. Her eyebrows pulled together as she thought over the events she could remember, though she struggled to place them in any kind of order._

"_I am sure. Trust me." Carlisle smiled a bright, caring smile that any human would struggle to resist. Erica glared at him for a moment, unsure who to believe. As a single tear rolled down her pink cheeks, she sighed heavily._

"_Then, I thank you." She looked to each of them in turn. "Thank you for helping me and my son ... my husband too, I suppose. I don't know what we would have done without you."_

Aro released Carlisle's hand, soaking up the new information that had been made so willingly available to him. It almost forced him to feel sorry for his old companion and the plan he had to destroy his coven ... almost.

"There you have it. Erica knew nothing." Carlisle said with a new found confidence. Aro lifted his head slightly before turning away from Carlisle, and returning to sit beside Marcus on his throne.

"Carlisle," he began once seated. "I am grateful for your open and honest approach, however, you forget that I have met with Rosalie. I have seen for myself the events involving her. More than that, the human girl is fully aware of what we are."

"Where is she?" Esme's pitch was a little higher than normal as she glanced around the hall and quickly noticed the absence of Erica.

"She is here. She will not be harmed, just yet. I can assure you that." Aro's eyes travelled back across the room to Carlisle. "I believe Emmett gave our little secret away."

"He wouldn't have unless he had good reason," Jasper mumbled quietly, though it was heard by all.

"You may be right, but the fact is that he did. This causes us a few more issues." His eyes narrowed as he glanced to the door leading to his captives. "I cannot allow the human free. And it seems we now have a double trial approaching us."

"You cannot be serious!" Edward called out, annoyance taking hold of him.

"Deadly," Aro replied. "I do not joke about these matters, Edward."

"Aro, you have to see my point of view. This is my family you are condemning, they are not simply nomads causing you endless trouble." Carlisle tried to defend his family, steadily beginning to lose his cool temperament.

"It makes no difference. They have broken the law, both of them," Caius snapped. "At any rate, you surely cannot expect us to free the human and her offspring?"

Carlisle remained silent as he tried hard to steady himself, knowing that Caius' last comment was a rhetorical one. However, Alice did not.

"Of course we do! You can't do this!" She had not seen this outcome in her visions, and could not work out where or who had changed the course of their events. Maybe it was Heidi and Santiago? She had not foreseen them and their demise; maybe that had caused Carlisle to be a little sharper towards Aro than he usually would have been. But whatever the reason or cause, it was having undesired effects.

"We only enforce the law," Marcus answered calmly.

"We are here to discuss terms for their release in a fair and just way," Carlisle remained calm again, aware of the guards surrounding the walls of this hall becoming agitated with each word now spoken.

"Very well. But Rosalie has already been sentenced," Aro lied again, his eyes not even showing a hint of his deceit. He wanted her alive, he needed her alive if he were to trick Emmett into joining his guard. Then, maybe then, Alice and Edward would join. And if they joined, he would certainly gain the wonderful power bestowed upon Isabella.

"Please!" Esme begged, her eyes wide with fear for her daughter. "Please! You cannot take her from us. She has done wrong, she knows that. And she will suffer the knowledge that she caused harm for the rest of her days!"

"Be silent," Caius ordered her in retaliation. He was growing more antagonised by the second.

"You have to know that Rosalie is a good person," Esme continued, determined to do what she could for her daughter. Aro watched her with intrigue, his eyes blank, as was his heart.

"Caius has asked you to silence," Jane crowed like an angel from the corner, her own red eyes beginning to burn.

"Aro, release her. She is our responsibility and we will take it upon ourselves to monitor her more closely now."

"Rosalie wont like that," Edward murmured.

"Edward," Carlisle warned softly as he turned to face his wife. Her expression was creased with worry, with desperation.

"Release her pl ..." Esme began beating Aro again with her pleading; she did not feel it was below her to plead for her daughter's life.

"YOU WILL NOT ORDER ME IN MY OWN HOME!" Aro finally raged, fury coursing wildly though him and exploding towards all in his presence. He was not one for losing his temper, often, but he had been pushed to the end of his tether with the Cullens and their unnatural ways, their special gifts, their unusual family and its threatening numbers that only ever grew. They were not above his rule, not about the Volturi, and they needed to be reminded of that before they continued to embarrass him before his guards. To speak freely as though they had the right! And Carlisle's mate, Esme, her insolence to ignore when she had been asked to be quiet ... beyond irritating ... ENRAGING.

"You have entered the home of the Volturi, you have barged your way in here, you turn away my hospitality and you insult and ignore us! You are not above me ... erm, us. You will learn your place here!" Aro raged again, a menacing edge lacing his sharp tone; and quite grateful that he had managed to save himself from that little power trip he almost had done. "Guards."

As Aro called for his trusty protectors, snarls ripped through each of them as they stepped forwards, closing in and around the Cullens.

"Aro!" Carlisle turned to him, his eyes wide with shock that he could do this to them. He had hoped that Aro would have had some understanding towards him, some humanity for their situation. But it seemed the bitterness of their last meeting ran deeper than he could have expected.

"Enough, Carlisle! Your coven is a threat, you know this. I am beyond helping you now." That was it. Aro had surrendered his plan, his plot for the Cullens. He would have them ended now, it would be a shame to lose such talented vampires, but he would certainly get over it.

War, their final battle, their hopes, dreams and faith would now be tested.


	17. A cruel twist of fate

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

A cruel twist of fate

The angry snarls echoed around the hall. The bitter ones of the Volturi guard clashing against the defensive growls of the Cullens. Esme, Edward, Alice and Jasper formed a tight circular formation, each facing out towards their steadily advancing threat, and shielding themselves within the small safety of their alliance to each other. Felix homed in on Edward, and was steadily drawing nearer to him, his lips pulled back over his teeth and his eyes widened. Edward lowered his body with each step Felix took, and prepared to spring. Felix on the other remained tall, knowing there was little need to adapt his posture to a more threatening one; he could see the very danger his presence held in Edward's eyes. Beside Edward, Esme hovered, not really wanting to fight, but manoeuvring herself in anticipation of Chelsea's next move. Behind Esme, Alice crouched and hissed warningly at Afton, who had fixed his chilling gaze upon her. Jasper was leaning forwards, his arms reaching out to balance him, though they also acted as a protective barrier for Alice and Esme. His wide eyes locked with Demetri's as he stood protectively between his mother and wife.

Standing before the apprehensive collection of vampires, was Carlisle. His expression etched with sorrow, though his physical stance did not show this. Instead it showed the strength he had spent the last few moments gathering. As he eyed Aro, who was lingering before his throne, the threat of this meeting losing all control weighed heavily on Carlisle's already troubled mind. He recalled momentarily how he had spent almost a decade beside Aro, considering him a friend, although he had never approved of the often malicious ways he and the Volturi ruled. Yet now it seemed the last thread holding that friendship together, had snapped. Aro's face appeared unnaturally calm, a small smile of anticipation twisting his lips as he examined vicious potential of the scene unfolding before him. A moment ago, he had given up on his plan for the Cullen's, though his fickle ways quickly possessed him as he realised his coven would always outnumber Carlisle's. Maybe all was not lost. He returned his observant eyes to Carlisle, pity for his old friend pricking at him. Though he knew that could easily be ignored in favour of his greed for power. Carlisle lifted his watchful gaze to Aro's face as he wondered how this had all gotten out of hand so quickly. The sour taste left by the Cullens on the Volturi's sharp taste buds was obvious to him. It seemed they had not forgotten about Renesmee, and the events that had occurred only a few years ago in Forks. But that was then, and this is now. How had Carlisle allowed it to get this far? He had only ever wanted what was best for his family, for anyone he crossed during his life time. Yet he had turned away once, just for a split second, and Rosalie had slipped through his protective and fatherly net. The distraction this had caused, the planning he had required to retrieve her safely, had once again drawn his eye away from his family and Emmett had jumped ship. Not only that, but with an innocent and clueless human and her child in tow.

Carlisle's eyes lowered slowly to the ground, he could feel Jasper's calming influence soaring through him; he was sure the Volturi would be feeling it too. Pricking his ears, he searched for the sounds of his family, assuring himself that they were managing before he decided anything further. They had been prepared for the possibility of battle, it being the worst outcome of tonight, but Carlisle had forgotten quite how outnumbered they would be. All the gifts his children possessed would certainly not compare to the Volturi's impressive range, and he allowed his eyelids fall shut, composing himself before drawing in one deep and unnecessary breath.

"Aro," he spoke gently, almost carefully in one last attempt to reach the humanity he hoped was still there somewhere. "Let us talk about this reasonably. I do not want to fight you."

"Of course you don't, my dear Carlisle. Your family is too important to you for it to be lost over a petty squabble," Aro answered in a falsely understanding tone. "But what am I to do? Set you all free, and think nothing more of all this? No. I cannot allow it. We would lose all respect I have spent centuries building."

"You know this is unnecessary, Aro. Rosalie made a mistake, one that is easily rectified," Carlisle reasoned with a soft, but subtle, pleading in his eyes.

"Let's not play games; you know I have seen what she has done. Do you have an alternative suggestion for me?" Aro's eyes darted behind Carlisle to Felix and Edward, who were now squaring up to each other. "Felix ..."

Felix towered over Edward, both recalling their last encounter together here; one that had been just as tense. Felix lowered his head, snapping his teeth towards Edward's ear, before flashing him a callous grin and retreating slightly. Aro raised his arms out to his sides, flashing the room a blissful smile. "Come along! This is not how we treat out guests, is it?"

"Aro," Marcus mumbled with irritation, Aro's mood swings only frustrating him now. Aro's eyes darkened, not wanting his fun to be spoiled by Marcus' boredom and disinterest, especially when things were becoming so interesting.

"Jane. Sort them out," Aro snapped at Jane, flashing her an aggravated glance.

"Of course," Jane nodded and instantly she clapped her hands together, sending vibrations equivalent to an earthquake around the room. The clap resonated against each pair of ears and silencing the room, as was its intention. Aro sighed heavily as he deliberated his next move; one that he hoped would save his intentions for the Cullens.

"I have a proposal for you, Carlisle." He fixed his playful, yet suddenly sterner gaze upon him. "One we should discuss ... alone."

"Secrets have done enough damage to this family already. I do not want to keep anything from them. What you have to discuss with me can be said before them too," Carlisle decided.

"Very well," Aro's eyes flashed with displeasure. Though he continued regardless, "I will spare Rosalie..."

"Thank you! We will keep a closer eye on her. I promise you that," Esme interrupted, relief noticeably swamping her self control as she turned her sights away from Chelsea.

"I do not doubt that," Aro flicked a warm smile in Esme's direction. "However, you must understand that we have a ... _reputation_ to uphold here."

Caius swiftly took to his feet, "You know full well that we do not give second chances. And you have had far too many already. You have got away with too much."

"Quite right," Aro's eyes widened with pleasure as his plan seemed to manifest itself perfectly. "I have a condition for you."

Carlisle stole a quick glance over his shoulder to his suddenly nervous family. He knew this was not going to be an easily agreeable condition. However, it was certainly preferable to a fight.

"I believe an eye for an eye is the ..." Aro began.

"Never!" Edward snarled, reading Aro's thoughts before he could speak them.

"Edward, please," Carlisle asked, his tone laced with immediate concern.

"I only ask one thing," Aro declared as he took a step towards Carlisle, ignoring Edward, and not wanting to miss Carlisle's reaction to this.

"Get on with it, Aro," Marcus droned impatiently, much to Aro's evident annoyance.

Aro twisted his fingers together, "You may take Rosalie ... but you will leave Alice in her place."

"NO," Jasper snarled as he took a defensive step back towards Alice. Carlisle lowered his eyes for a moment, disbelief creeping up on him. He knew Aro would not be kind, but how was he to choose between his children? A second of shocked silence passed before Carlisle shook his head and as he addressed Aro once again, his eyes remaining fixated on the marble slab below his feet,

"You know I cannot agree to that."

"Damn right we won't," Jasper growled again. Alice, who had shimmied her small frame close to her husbands, looked unsurprisingly saddened. She had seen this outcome a long time ago. She had thought about it long and hard. She had even attempted to warn Emmett the first night they had arrived here:

_It wasn't long before they were deep into the Italian forest, scouting for whatever delights lurked here. The deadliest predators stalked and ran silently towards their unsuspecting pray, hungry for the kill. Emmett glanced around, making sure that everyone was intently focused upon the hunt, too focused to notice him slip away. Seeing that they were, he swiftly changed course. But as he did Alice caught hold of his arm, not harshly, but applying just enough pressure to stop his advances. A little startled he skidded to a halt, turning to her cautiously._

"_What you're planning ... please don't. It won't save her Em, believe me I've seen. For my sake I would rather you went along with us." Her innocent eyes locked with his. _

"'_Course I'm with you," he said casually, brushing her off. She didn't know already, surely._

"_Emmett! Listen to me. If you do this, I understand ... but it's a huge risk. Bigger than you know." She spoke softly, quietly, reflectively. Her lips pressed tightly together and her eyes fell to the floor, her arm dropping down with them. He hunched down slightly in order to see her small blinks that were holding back non-existent tears. How he hated to hurt her this way. But as protective and loyal as he was to his family, Rosalie would always come first. He mused for another moment, wondering if he should let Alice in, or continue to play the fool. It wasn't long before he decided the fool would be easier on them all._

"_Chill, the Italian air's going to your head!" he chuckled unconvincingly. There was no doubt about it, Alice knew. But he wasn't going to let that stop him this time, Rosalie was so close now. He was not going to let her slip away again. Alice looked up to him, the moon illuminating her sad features. Emmett watched her apprehensively, wondering why there was such sorrow in her eyes. _

"What of Erica and the baby?" Carlisle asked concernedly.

"You have a choice, Carlisle. Choose wisely." Aro spoke triumphantly, clearly avoiding the question. He knew now that he was going to win. Patience. That is all it took. Patience.

... ... ... ...

Emmett sat on the hard stone floor, his back leaning casually against the wall furthest from the jacket covered body. Rosalie lay comfortably in his lap, and for the first time in ... she couldn't remember how long now, she felt content. His strong arms that draped around her offered her the comfort and support she had been longing for. Each time he lifted one hand and thoughtfully ran his fingers through her hair, she felt a spark; a spark of love, of happiness, but mostly now of revenge.

"I'll kill Felix," Emmett mused in a deep, gruff voice as his eyes fell down upon her changed face. The crimson in her eyes did not bother him as she had expected it to, and for that she was more than thankful. She drew in one long, deep breath as she pulled herself upright and swivelled her body to face him. Her eyes traced the lines of his lips, up and over his nose and finally settling on his dark golden eyes. It really was him, he really was here, and as a wave of warmth surged through her she smiled a small, contented smile.

"He will get what's coming to him. I know you'll make sure of that," she whispered, unsure who may be listening in on their conversation.

"Who does he think he is that means he can help himself to my wife?" he growled through gritted teeth. "I'm looking forward to the moment I can tear him to PIECES!"

"Calm, baby. All in good time," Rosalie soothed before stretching up and planting a gentle kiss on his hardened jaw. How was she once again the calming influence? "First we have to get out of here. I really don't think I can stare at these damned walls a moment longer."

"You're right." Emmett jumped to his feet, but not before wrapping his hands around her shoulders and bringing her up with him. "One step at a time."

A small frown furrowed its way into her soft features as she stepped closer to her husband, refusing to be apart from him for a single moment. "How are we going to get out? I've smashed against that door over and over and it's done next to nothing. They are designed to keep our kind in. It won't be easy."

"Nah, don't worry about that. The others are coming ..." Emmett grinned.

Rosalie smiled what could easily be mistaken for a patronising smile, "And then what? Do you honestly think that Aro will just let them in, give them a nice warm glass of deer and welcome us out of here?"

"Urrrm, yeah?" Emmett raised an eyebrow. "Carlisle can persuade Aro better than anyone. They got history babe."

"History or no history it won't work. He's devious Emmett," Rosalie dragged her hands over her face. "You and I have to do this together. I'm stronger with the ... human blood. And you're a walking bulldozer. We can shatter that door together, right?"

Emmett's eyes narrowed as he took in Rosalie's fighting words. He her watched adoringly as she stepped back to examine their one obstacle, and a mischievous grin wormed its way to his lips.

"Yeah," he nodded with a sudden enthusiasm. "Let's get the _hell_ outta here."

In a split moment he was at Rosalie's side and cracking his knuckles in preparation for 'operation breakout', that he had so adequately named it. This is what he loved the most. Breaking things, tearing things apart. But it was even more fun when, and hot, when his wife was game too.

"Oh, babe?" There was one more thing he knew he had to tell her before they went any further, one thing he had not forgotten about. "There's something you should know..."

Rosalie's head fell forwards; she could tell by the sheepish tone of his voice that this was not something she would approve of. "What?"

"That girl you attacked," he paused and flashed her an apologetic smile as Rosalie flinched at his words. "Sorry. I mean, ok, don't get mad ... she's kinda here."

Rosalie froze, every muscle in her slender body tightening with the enragement and panic she suddenly felt bubble within her, and she spoke slowly, carefully. "You what?"

"Yeah, it was part of my master plan. Gotta say it failed, but I figured she could show Aro what happened..."

"He knows what happened! He has me! OH EMMETT, YOU IDIOT!" she roared, her now opened eyes flashing with anger. "How could you be so stupid?"

Emmett frowned painfully as her words stung, "I was only doing what I thought was best for you, since you decided that taking a kid was a damn good idea!"

"A good idea? No, Emmett, I never thought it was a good idea. I wanted what YOU can't give me," she shouted back, her harsh words echoing against the cold walls. She began to pace back and forth, frightened mostly that if she came across this woman, she would no longer have the strength to resist her humanly scent.

"Oh," Emmett smiled a pitiful smile as he shook his head in disbelief. "So now we get to the real reasons for all this, don't we?"

"Well I'm sorry if that offends you but it's the ..."

"Truth?" he interrupted, wound up by her uncalled for attack. "Yeah, I get it. I risk not only my life, our family's lives, Erica and Alyan's too, for YOU. And for what? Only so YOU get to throw yet another fit at me because YOU can't always have what YOU want? Am I right?"

He paused for a moment to control his erratic breathing, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

"Yes, yes you did," Rosalie replied softly in a sorrowful whisper. "I know what you have risked for me, but that's how it is!"

"Really?" he questioned, still surprised that her attitude surprised him.

"Of course, you are my husband," she continued defensively. "It's what you _should _do!"

"You know what? ... this is going to get us nowhere. No matter what you think now, or how you disagree with what I have tried to do for you, I love you, and we are getting outta here." He didn't smile at her this time, instead, he charged at the door, smashing against it with such force that it shook at his touch. Rosalie listened to the repetitive thuds, not quite believing how she had just treated the one who had risked so much, as he had reminded her so harshly, to save her. Emmett stepped back, preparing once again to attack his obstacle with the annoyance now contained within him; better to take it out on the door than on his troubled wife. As he neared where she stood, she reached out, taking hold of his hand.

"Let's do this."

It took almost twenty further collisions for the door to finally crack and splinter. And once it had fallen, Emmet felt the need to stamp on it several more times before he turned and held out a hand for Rosalie. She closed her eyes, smelling the fresher, non stale air flood the cell. She knew he was taking his anger out on the door, and that was fine. But now, now she could smell freedom. After opening her eyes, and finding Emmett once again, she charged forwards, faster than she had expected and took his hand.

"I knew it!" Emmett exclaimed. "I knew you moved quicker before ... how?"

Rosalie smiled, "I'm not sure. It's happened a few times already."

"The blood ..." he grinned. "I bet it's the human blood. You've only ever had animal blood, so maybe you have a gift that's activated by human blood?"

"But how ..."she began to wonder; though she quickly decided that figuring the logistics of this was pointless. She stood in the open doorway and contemplated his theory momentarily. He must be right. She had a gift too! So, it seems that there is more to beauty and power than simply being pretty to look at. She smiled softly at her husband, and took his hand.

"I see I'm not needed, then," a familiar voice came in the silence.

"Bells," Emmett nodded, flashing her a relieved smile. He had already picked up her scent when the door had given in. "Glad you're alright. And ... you know ..."

"I know," Bella smiled understandingly. "You're sorry for the Erica thing, right?"

Emmett nodded as he felt Rosalie loosen her grip on his hand. Bella glided swiftly towards them, and was quickly, and rather suddenly, bundled up into an embrace. Though she had expected a hug, she had prepared herself for it to be Emmett. But these dainty arms were not his. They were Rosalie's.

"I'm so sorry Bella. I really am. For everything. For this." Rosalie rambled as quickly as she could. "You have risked so much, thank you."

Bella stood uncomfortably for a moment, unsure if Rosalie had been drugged, or if she really had seen the light at last. "It's ok, I guess. You're family, and I owe you."

"Owe me?"

"When I was pregnant you were the only one who stood by me, at first. This is me saying thanks," she smiled as Rosalie pulled out of the embrace.

"Cute, really. But c'mon, we have a fight to be getting involved with. The others might need our help by now." Emmett waved his arms in an ushering fashion, itching to tear someone, or something apart.

"You guys go. The plan was to keep me hidden for now. If Aro instructs the guard to attack, well, Jane or the others with powers, I can step in and screw up _his_ plans." Bella recalled.

Emmett's eyes flashed with excitement, "It's good. I like it. Rose, stay with Bella ..."

"Not a chance," Rosalie shook her head. "I want to see Jane and Felix's face when we barge in there together."

"Go," Bella agreed. "I'll listen from here."

Without any need for further persuasion, Emmett strode down the corridor and towards the Volturi's lair. Rosalie smiled softly at Bella, silently thanking her again before running after him, and to Bella's surprise, was at his side in less than a blink. When they reached the large, double doors, Emmett paused, Rosalie glued to his side, and glanced back to make sure Bella had hidden herself from sight.

"Ready?" He asked in a rough, fighting tone.

"Ready," Rosalie confirmed, and they burst into the pits of hell.

_**A/N**__: Done! Too many people to write! Hope it isn't confusing at all – it certainly confused me for ... weeks! You may also be interested to know I have written an (at the moment) one-shot, that is up to read. It is really Carlisle and Esme as it was a story challenge I was given, but it is set in 1932 where Rosalie and Edward have issues, and it deals with the finding and turning of Emmett. Hope you have a read, and let me know what you think! Thanks to you all, and I look forwards to hearing your responses as always._


	18. The blast of war

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

The blast of war

'_Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more, or close the wall up with our English dead! In peace there's nothing so becomes a man as modest stillness and humility; But when the blast of war blows in our ears, then imitate the action of the tiger: Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood.'  
__- William Shakespeare_

The double doors clashed against the wall with an almighty thud as Emmett rather enthusiastically swung them open and strode into the main hall, closely followed by Rosalie. The bang had interrupted Aro mid sentence, and he glanced towards them with thunder booming in his eyes. Emmett couldn't help but snigger as he took in the shocked, and in some cases, confused expressions of the Volturi. Aro's was the best, his mouth twisting every few seconds as he tried to act unsurprised, and suppress his astonishment at their sudden entry. As his eyes swept across Marcus and Caius, Emmett deliberately avoided any visual contact with Carlisle. Rosalie may have a lot to answer for, but he was very aware at this moment that he did also.

Rosalie's eyes flew around the room, and to her delight, once again taking in the sight of her family. It had been too long, too painful without them, and she realised that now ... She felt a fleeting moment of joy as she saw the loving look in Esme's eyes, the widening grin across her features as Esme returned her joy with a simple glance. Though this feeling quickly shifted into a feeling of angst, as she took in Edward and Jasper's slightly disappointed gazes. After a quick glance to an uplifted looking Alice, Rosalie lowered her eyes, shame taking hold, as she subtly moved closer to Emmett's side. How grateful she was to have him here, to have his undying support and love.

"Emmett ... Rosalie ... This. Is. Wonderful," Aro finally said after waving a hand towards Alec and Felix to prevent their advances. His teeth were gritted, and he smiled with an obvious falseness. "The whole family together again. A simply _joyous_ occasion!"

"Are you well, Rosalie?" Carlisle quickly asked her in a muffled tone, to which she only responded to with a quick nod. She was still aware of her crimson eyes, so tilted her head slightly to the side in an attempt to hide them.

"Becoming, aren't they?" Aro asked as his own red eyes bore holes through Rosalie.

From the moment Aro had begun speaking, Emmett had fixed his eyes upon him; watching his every move with great care, and a burning desire to rip his head off building within him. Though upon seeing the spiteful way he glared at Rosalie, he couldn't help but glance towards her. Rosalie scoffed quickly and softly, knowing that Aro had picked up on the one thing that shamed her the most, and forcing her to further lower her eyes.

"No!" Edward murmured in surprise from across the room. Their thoughts were never really safe, but regardless, Rosalie quickly tried to scramble hers. Though it was already too late, there were plenty of minds in this room that knew of what she had done, and she knew Edward would be listening to each and every one of them.

"Ignore him, babe," Emmett told her loudly. He didn't want his defiance towards Aro to go unnoticed.

"How rude, Emmett," Aro responded in an unnervingly calm tone. "You are in our home, do not forget that. A little courtesy would not go amiss."

Emmett returned his narrowed eyes towards Aro as a devious half grin lit up his features. "Courtesy can kiss my ass."

He did not see who, but there was a small chuckle of laughter that echoed around them. Aro's eyes flashed with anger as his clasped hands pressed firmly together in an attempt to control himself.

"Emmett, please," Carlisle answered in place of Aro, as he lifted one hand out from his side in a gesture meant to calm the situation.

"Tell me, what do you think, my dear friends, of Rosalie's ... makeover?" Aro continued. He stepped towards Carlisle, making sure he would not miss the expression when his old friend realised what it was he was speaking of. After a moment of silence, allowing time for all eyes to be on Rosalie, he spoke again, this time his gaze fixated on Carlisle. "From golden girl, to crimson charmer."

In a single swift movement, Emmett reached out and took hold of Rosalie's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He could tell by her small, almost invisible movements how uncomfortable and filled with regret she was.

"Please," she whispered gently, begging Aro to stop. With a small glance up, her eyes fell upon Carlisle. She had fully expected to see his eyes filled with upset and disappointment in her. However, her fears were unfounded as they were soft, understanding and encouraging.

"Feasting on a human becomes her, wouldn't you say? Esme?" Aro's eyes flew to Esme, picking the _mother_ of the group to address as he scolded her naughty child. Esme did not respond, but Rosalie could feel the pity emanating from her, and Emmett let out a small warning growl.

"Worry not, Emmett, what has passed has passed. We are looking to the future now, discussing terms ..." Aro began before Emmett interrupted him.

"What terms?" He recalled their last conversation and his agreement to discuss joining their guard in return for seeing Rosalie. "Screw that."

"Join the guard?" Edward asked, reading every thought passing through Emmett's subconscious.

"I didn't see that," Alice said softly in amazement at another decision she seemed to have missed.

"I didn't decide anything," Emmett growled, before flashing Alice an apologetic look. "That's why you wouldn't have seen."

Carlisle turned to Aro, "That was not the option you gave me, Aro. You are being unfair, playing us against each other when we have done nothing to you."

"Not quite true. Anyway, they are of no interest to me now anyhow."He turned his attention away from the room and back to Carlisle. "Alice, for Rosalie."

"What!" Rosalie called out in outrage. "Forget it! Carlisle, you can't!"

"Calm Rosalie," he answered, turning once again to Aro. "We agreed nothing. And you know neither I, nor any of my family will agree to that."

"I second that," Emmett frowned as he exchanged a confused look with Rosalie. What on earth had they missed? He enjoyed a game as much as the next vampire, but he was beginning to lose track of who was playing games with whom. All he knew, all any of them knew, was that Aro had an agenda of his own, and was playing by his own rules.

Aro sighed, "Must we go over this again? Our little crimson charmer has done wrong, and you do not wish for us to end her ..."

"Of course not!" Esme interrupted, to Aro, Marcus and Caius' evident annoyance.

Ignoring her, he continued. "What I require is no secret. And there is no doubt in my mind that Edward has heard, or that Alice has seen. You are aware that your ... coven ... is of concern to me. But it seems we have a few options, so let us lay them out plain for all to comprehend."

He paused, waving his hands in the direction of his guard who still circled Esme, Edward, Alice and Jasper. Instantly, they relaxed. Emmett released Rosalie's hand in order to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her to him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Felix glaring at him. Felix ... how could he have forgotten? What he had done to Rosalie, _Emmett's_ wife, was unforgivable and he would not allow it to be forgotten. They locked eyes, throwing imaginary daggers at each other. Emmett could feel the anger bubbling through him as his mind played over and over the events Rosalie had earlier recited to him. He imagined killing him, the fun he would have as he did so, but was unfortunately interrupted by Aro. He would bide his time. Strike when the time was right.

"I require a simple exchange, Alice for Rosalie. But, I see you are not accepting of those terms. You see, Emmett has already expressed his desire to stay with us in the guard in return for seeing Rosalie." Aro was once again interrupted by a low growl from within Emmett's chest; that was not true, he never desired to stay here.

Ignoring it, Aro continued. "You do not want to leave any of your family here, so you see, we have a rather large issue on our hands. Not only this, but you have also forgotten to consider the human and her offspring that Emmett brought into our walls."

Emmett winced as he realised he had forgotten Erica and Alyan; his responsibilities. He did not need to look for them, as he could not smell their sweet, irony scents. "Where are they?"

"Safe, Emmett. Safe." Aro smiled criminally.

"I said ... _where are they_?" he hissed again, with more urgency this time. Stepping swiftly to the side, he let his arm fall from Rosalie's waist and took a step forwards. His chest puffed out as his fists clenched, exposing the taught muscles beneath his grey tank top. He would never forgive himself if any harm had come to her or the boy. After all, Aro had given his word that they would be safe.

From the centre of the room, Rosalie could see Jasper focusing hard on Emmett to influence his mood. Though, as she took in the strong, defensive stance of her husband, she could see it was doing little good.

Carlisle swiftly crossed the small space between himself and Emmett, to offer his son some assistance. "Easy, Emmett."

"You said she would be safe!" Emmett roared, oblivious to the calming influences of his family.

Aro watched with great interest before speaking. "She is else ..."

As he had begun to speak, the main doors to the hall flew open with, and the human secretary fell through them. As she fell, Emmett and Rosalie spun around in time to see her hit the ground. It was the blood that they noticed first, the blood that begun to spill from the small cut on her forehead. Rosalie felt a fire light at the back of her throat, and her muscles begin fighting against her will. Several hungry hisses of the guard voiced her feelings, and thankfully, momentarily distracted her.

"Run!" the girl screamed, as she scrambled clumsily to her feet. "Leave, you must leave!"

Aro straightened himself up, hushing the room as he did so, before he addressed the woman. "Why would we do such a thing? Jane, fire her. She's ... useless!"

"Of course." Jane glided across the room about the deal with the human, when she cried out again.

"Please, listen to me! They are here, the pack, the pack are here!" Her sobs made her words difficult to comprehend. "Look!"

Rosalie and Emmett exchanged baffled glances, as the human ran out of the hall again. After a few moments she returned, dragging a large wicker basket behind her. She paused to catch her breath and wipe away the stray tears on her cheeks. From the lid, she ripped away a dirty piece of cloth, and began to read,

"We ... we know who ... who you are," she sobbed, "You are not, not above all in this world. We are coming for you."

Sounding bored as per usual, yet with an underlying tone of vague interest, Marcus sat up in his throne. "What is this? Who is coming?"

Before anyone could say anything further, the girl kicked the basket over and turned away to cover her eyes. Carlisle, seizing his moment flitted across the room to comfort the clearly distressed girl; it was the least he could do. Though, it baffled them all, working in a place like this, that anything could frighten her.

Rosalie's eyes were fixed on the basket as it fell. From within it, something rolled out. The groups of vampires who stood in its path, parted as it rolled forwards and eventually stopped at Aro's feet. The room was silent, shocked as the lonesome head was plucked from the ground by Aro.

"One of our trackers ... he was scouting in the woods." He glanced over toward Felix. "We are safe, they cannot find us here."

"Wrong!" the human dared to call out. "I saw them. I saw one of them at the door, he gave me the basket. One threw a stone at me! Some were human, some were not!"

She pointed to the cut on her forehead again, which Carlisle quickly covered with the fabric note in an attempt to dampen the bloody scent filling the air. Emmett watched carefully as Alec hissed, catching the ripe scent in the air. If he moved, Emmett was prepared to take him down.

"They're close," Edward suddenly murmured. "Shape-shifters."

"How close?" Jasper asked, folding his arms behind his back in his military fashion.

"They can't be far, I can hear them. I think they are speaking," he paused to think, "Indian?"

"Sweet!" Emmett said in his gruff tone. "Finally we'll get some action."

"No, there's too many of them." Edward shook his head, a frown indicating he was listening hard to the strange thoughts.

"How many are there?" Caius addressed Edward.

"Thirty. Maybe more," he answered, though he was clearly informing Carlisle and Jasper, and not Caius.

Panic swept around the room. Such a thing had never been heard of; Shape-shifters daring to stand against the Volturi alone. Rosalie glanced around the room, watching as Jane and Felix barked orders at the guard. Some began to form a defensive line by the entrance way, while others, such as Sulphicia and Athendora made a sharp exit through the tunnel behind the thrones.

"Typical," she scoffed as she watched them disappear from sight before Alice's tinkling voice caught her attention.

"Do you think this is to do with the shape-shifter we saw earlier? The dead one?"

"Most likely," Jasper replied thoughtfully, while his eyes flitted to Carlisle. "And that's a dangerously large pack. Almost unheard of."

Carlisle mused, "I agree. If they are planning on challenging the Volturi, it would have to be."

Emmett placed his palm into the small of Rosalie's back, pushing her forwards and towards Carlisle and the others. He did not want to miss any fighting talk.

"We can take them," he announced with what they had already decided was a misplaced confidence.

"I don't think so Emmett, not this time." Carlisle let go of the squirming human, and watched as she ran as fast as she could back out towards the reception area. "We should leave, now. They wouldn't know the difference between us and the Volturi."

"Ahh, c'mon!" Emmett whined disappointedly.

"This is not why we are here, Emmett. I will take no further risks with our family. I will lose no-one." Carlisle met Emmett's gaze, instructing him, not asking him.

"Fine. But I still have a score to settle first ..."

"No, leave it," Rosalie told him, speaking for the first time, and feeling their eyes being drawn to her, she returned to staring hard at the floor.

"Carlisle," Edward called warningly. "They're in. They'll be here any second."

"We have to leave. Now," Carlisle ordered, and with that, Rosalie turned along with her family and followed closely behind Carlisle. As her eyes scanned the room, she was pleased to perceive that the Volturi were too distracted to notice. However, it seemed she had been too distracted by them to notice what Emmett was doing.

"Emmett!" she called out as she turned just in time to see him launch himself at Felix. She hadn't meant to, though she inadvertently alerted Felix to the impending danger. Breaking away from the family, Rosalie spun around and headed back towards Emmett and Felix.

Emmett could only watch through his narrowed eyes as Felix spun towards him at the last moment, ruining his plan of a surprise attack. It made no difference, and Emmett plunged into a fight regardless. He was not leaving here until he had settled this score. His fist swung viciously towards Felix's head, only to be met by Felix's forearm as it sprung up to protect him. The sound, as they collided, was deafening to Rosalie's ears. Emmett let out an angry snarl as he swung again, spinning around to slice at Felix from another angle.

Seemingly from nowhere, as Rosalie neared her husband, Demetri stepped in her path. Without hesitation, and desperate to get to Emmett, she leapt from the ground, spiralling through the air and locking his head between her palms. As she flipped over him, forcing his head back, Demetri stretched up his arms and wrapped them around her waist, sending them both crashing to the ground. Emmett, who by this point had managed to disable Felix by tearing away one of his legs, caught sight of Rosalie's frame tumbling. With a quick glance to Felix, he assessed there was a small amount of time by which he would be able to aid Rosalie. Though, as he went to step forwards, it was Edward who charged towards her. Emmett smirked happily as he saw Edward take hold of Demetri's robe and pull him from Rosalie. In what almost looked like a choreographed dance, Edward pulled Demetri's arms back, locking him in position, while Rosalie propelled herself from the ground, and with an incredible force, twisted and ripped his head from his shoulders. In a matter of seconds, several of the guards surrounded them, clawing and fighting in an attempt to help save Felix. Rosalie, while taking down a smaller female member of the guard, glanced up to see Carlisle, Esme, Jasper and Alice darting back towards them. Jasper propelled himself toward the two Volturis who were trying their hardest to take Emmett down, and freed him within seconds. Alice, along with Carlisle and Esme worked together at the few stragglers surrounding both Rosalie and Edward. Having being pushed to the ground, Emmett jumped swiftly back to his feet and searched for Felix. He needn't have searched long, as from behind him Felix swiped his fists across his legs, knocking him forwards. Emmett turned, watching as Felix attempted to balance himself on his one intact knee and continue to fight. Emmett laughed his deep gruff laugh, amused at Felix's failure, before bending down and whispering something inaudible in his ear. It happened in a split second, as Emmett jumped back to his feet, raised his arm high into the air before sending it soaring back down and slicing through Felix's neck, decapitating his head completely.

"We need fire," he called out to Edward as he strode triumphantly toward them. Revenge always felt good.

Edward pulled the lighter he was never without these days from the pocket of his jeans, and marching forwards, he flipped it open to ignite the flame, dropping it on the limp body of Felix. The flames quickly began to soar, forcing Edward to step back again. As Felix was engulfed, Rosalie felt a surge of calm wash through her. That part of her life, the revenge she had been harbouring towards such a demon these last few weeks, was over. Yet, it failed to allow her peace for long as several growls echoed through the corridors, filling the hall.

"They're here," Jasper called, as he circled with Afton.

"Bring it on," Emmett growled.

"Emmett, enough," Carlisle instructed him with a firmer authority this time. "We are not going to win this. Jasper, Edward, toss those bodies into the flames, and then follow me. I know another way out."

The hard line of the Volturi reformed as the snarls grew in volume, and Rosalie knew her time here was finally done.

"Where's Aro?" Emmett roared, his brow pulled together and his eyes narrowed to slits as he spun around. There was no sight of either Aro, Marcus, Caius or Renata.

"It doesn't matter," Esme said as she launched an arm into the central fire. "It makes it easier for us to go."

"Leave the Volturi to handle this. It's their battle, not ours," Carlisle finished the conversation. With a wave of his arm, he indicated for them to follow him. No one would challenge them now. There were bigger issues to deal with.

"We need to leave. Now." Carlisle informed them hurriedly before beginning to lead the way. They weaved their way through the few scattered guards who were racing in the direction of the oncoming shape-shifters. Leaving through the same exit Rosalie had seen Athenodora and Sulpicia escape through earlier, they begun weaving their way through the corridors. Rosalie was last to cross the largest of the crossed corridors, and from the corner of her eye, spotted a small, blond blur dart in the opposite direction of the adjacent corridor.

"Jane," she muttered darkly and skidded to a halt.

Emmett, hearing her words, glanced around only to see Rosalie dart off in another direction.

"Rose," he called after her in a grumble before calling to Carlisle. "We'll catch you up."

Before he gave time for Carlisle to answer, Emmett spun on his heels and darted after Rosalie. She had moved fast, apparently finally working out how to activate her incredible speed, so he followed her sweet, floral scent. He slowed his running to a jog, as he took in the corridor where her scent was the strongest. He knew as he glanced around that he recognised this place. Scanning the several doors to either side of his large physique, he recalled the memory of the corridor where he had first been led back to his wife. This was where they had kept her. Turning once more around the corner, he saw her.

"Ro ..." he began to call before spotting the small, devil children standing before her. Alec and Jane stood in her path, spouting vile words of hate.

"Aro will reward us greatly for returning his bargaining tool to him," Alec spat.

"Yes," Jane agreed. "But I don't see why we shouldn't have a little fun of our own first."

Picking up on the intended meaning of her words, Emmett darted forwards and into sight, positioning himself beside Rosalie, "I wouldn't even think about it, short arse."

Jane laughed a piercingly angelic laugh.

"What exactly are you going to do about that?" she asked, fairly, Emmett thought. After all, they were the ones with the gifts here, and not him.

"I'll do what it takes," he challenged them again.

"Well, if you're going to die, at least your _wife _can watch," Alec grinned. "Sister, we don't have long to play. The tigers are getting nearer."

Jane tilted her head, her eyes falling upon Rosalie, just as Rosalie recognised the look of delight in her eyes, and knew exactly what was coming. But this time, she had Emmett with her rather than watching helplessly over him as she had done back in the surrounding mountains of Forks.

Rosalie spread her arms to her sides, "I can take whatever you have this time, Jane."

"Babe?" Emmett questioned, slightly confused by her apparent acceptance of Jane's plan to torture her.

"It's fine," she soothed him, glancing back to Jane with an unusual glint in her eyes.

Jane met her gaze, her face falling serious, her eyes widening as she hit Rosalie with all she had. Emmett's eyes darted between Jane and Rosalie, waiting for the pain to hit so he had an excuse to tear the little witch to hell. But it never came.

"Sister?" Alec asked her, his eyes as baffled as Emmett's now were.

"I ... I ..." Jane tried to speak, panic coursing through her. Emmett chuckled as he glanced down at his wife.

"Nice. Seems you gained more than just speed."

"No, she didn't," a familiar voice called from behind, and Bella stepped forwards. "Like I said, the plan was for me to stay here unless needed. I think this classifies as needed, right?"

"Hell yeah!" Emmett nodded triumphantly before turning back to Jane. "You're gonna die."

"Her shield!" Alec's eyes widened as he stepped back, taking in Emmett's clenched fists. "But, Carlisle said she stayed in Forks."

"Carlisle lied," Bella grinned, as she sauntered down the corridor to Emmett's side.

"Bells, what's with the outfit? I mean, hot ..." Emmett began.

"Not now," Rosalie snapped, her glare still fixed intently on Jane. "I'm glad, Jane, that the last thing you are going to see in this world is _my_ face. And I hope it haunts you. I hope it gives you hell, torments you as you burn in the fires of forever. You will pay for everything you have done in this life, and you more than deserve it."

With that Rosalie sprang forwards, locking herself in a deadly battle for life with the child-demon. Jane was not a fighter, she never had been, but she put up an extraordinary fight for her life. Snarls and growls shattered against the walls as Rosalie's golden hair spiralled and whirled about her, as fluid as water as it whipped against Jane's cheek. Rosalie, seizing her moment, wrapped her slender fingers around Jane's small neck. As she drew her near, Rosalie smiled a sinful smile. She knew now, in this very moment that she was going to triumph over Jane, at long last. Jane reached out her arms, slashing her small hands at Rosalie, her nails lacerating small sections of her porcelain skin. Lifting Jane from the ground, Rosalie felt the small rips against her skin and let out a cry of pain. Her eyes flared, the crimson in them illuminating as they widened. Alec flew towards Rosalie, seeing his sister would lose the battle. He, however, was also unused to tactical fighting, and with one swift move from Emmett was sent flying down the corridor, and through the wall. Emmett's dark expression lightened slightly as a small, wonky smile forced its way through; Alec would need a moment to recover himself after that little trip. Remembering Rosalie, he quickly shifted his eyes back towards her. He was rather glad that he looked when he did, as he watched Rosalie pin Jane against the wall to his right, and dig her nails deep into the skin of Jane's neck. Jane's expression was nothing more than fear, her feet lashing about her in an attempt to be free.

"Babe," Emmett encouraged gently as he watched Rosalie enjoy this moment for a little longer than they could spare. Rosalie chuckled with no hint of shame or regret as she finally lifted her leg against the wall, pressing her body to Jane's, glared deep into her eyes, and wrenched her dainty head from its rightful place. Rosalie stood back, her arms flopping to her sides. But she was not done. She tore at Jane's torso, screaming as she did so. No one could question exactly how vengeful Rosalie could be.

"Rose, she's dead." Emmett leant down, taking hold of Rosalie's wild fists and restraining her. "Bella, got a light? Let's finish this."

"Sure." From the waistband of her leather trousers she pulled a silver lighter.

"Burn her!" Rosalie cried, struggling to deal with the possibility of Jane piecing herself together again at any moment.

Emmett glanced at Bella as she set Jane alight. "We need to get out. Those shape-shifters are here, tearing the place apart most likely."

"I know. I heard them." Bella glanced back up the corridor. "Let's go the way you and Rose came, that's probably our best option."

As they were about to run, the doors at the other end of the corridor swung open, and there before them, stood what had so frightened the Volturi.

"And I was worried about horse-size wolves ..." Emmett hissed, placing Rosalie back on her feet.

Her eyes widened as she took in the tiger that was almost bigger than the wolves they were used to keeping company. "Run!"

_A/N: In my last chapter, in the A/N I mentioned 1932, I meant 1935 – sorry! Hope you enjoyed this latest instalment! Love to hear what you think, writing fighting with vampires isn't very easy!_


	19. The most unkindest cut of all

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

The most unkindest cut of all

They descended down the dark, narrow corridor with full vampiric speed, yet as fast as they were, they were certain that it may not be fast enough. The thought of running faster still, as she knew she could if only she could figure out how, briefly crossed Rosalie's thoughts ... but she could never risk leaving Emmett and Bella behind her to face that 'thing' alone. After all, was this not their rescue mission for her?

The shape-shifter, as Emmett has so bluntly put it, was not quite horse sized; it was larger. _Much_ larger. Bigger in size than the wolves in Forks, and its full, feline body filled the corridor easily. Emmett knew now why there had been such panic before; these were no ordinary shape-shifters, and the Volturi had known that. His mind recalled the caged tiger he had seen before, and couldn't help but think that that should have been some indication to him that things could take a turn for the worse. But then, he could never have imagined that a pack of shape-shifters releasing their fury in Volterra, however large or small, was anything other than a pipeline dream. As interesting, or annoying to him these thoughts were, he quickly refocused his attention, and with a quick self-reassuring glance towards Rosalie, he shot a look back at the beast that now stalked them. His eyes narrowed with battle fury as he caught sight of its large, sharp teeth. He saw the tiger, obviously, but the tiger had seen him too, and began spitting and hissing wildly at him. Before Emmett even had the chance to look back in the direction he was heading, the tiger pressed back on its hind legs before leaping gracefully through the air. In that single bound, it closed half the distance between them.

"Move it!" Emmett called out, a dark smile on his face as he tore himself between making sure the girls got out safely, and turning around and facing the beast head on ... it was tempting ... very tempting.

The animal, hearing Emmett's calls, sprang forwards once more, this time landing harder against the ground and sending reverberations down the hall. Bella had jumped forwards at the moment the tiger had, so felt nothing of the trembles, but both Emmett and Rosalie did. It was foolish of the animal really, as by acting in such a way, it had only alerted them both to its strength and ability ... Not something the enemy should know before you attack them.

'_Clever idiot_,' Rosalie thought ironically as she felt the earth shake beneath her feet. The creature was trying to unbalance them, to prevent them reaching the end of the corridor before it could attack.

They had almost made it, almost turned the corner and sprinted further away to safety, when the beast launched itself forwards once more. To their surprise, it leapt over them, landing in their path. Rosalie, who ran down the centre of the corridor, skidded abruptly to a halt, unable to see a way past it. Her eyes widened as she focused immediately on its movements, and began defensively matching them. Emmett, who had been running to her left, propelled himself up and against the wall, which then allowed him to squeeze through and land easily once again in front of the tiger. Bella, to the right, mirrored Emmett. As Emmett turned, he realised the creature's intentions. It had split them apart, weakening them, yet foolishly trapping itself within their now triangular formation.

"Gotcha," Emmett smirked.

Rosalie attempted several routes past the beast, but was forced back again by the wild waving of its quick tail.

"Rose, c'mon," Emmett encouraged as he began to dance with the beast, trying to distract it enough for Rosalie to escape past.

The beast surged slowly towards him and Bella, its lips pulled back over its large, fanged teeth as it hissed and spat at them. Its heavy paws moved rapidly, opposing Emmett's moves.

"Go under," Bella called, also seeing the predicament Rosalie had managed to get herself into.

"Are you insane?" she snapped back as her eyes fell to paws that harboured razor sharp claws. They would rip through a vampire's marble flesh like a knife through a feather.

"We got it trapped, make the move, we'll cover you," Emmett planned, his eyes locked on the beast's head, his stance low and threatening.

Rosalie scoffed as her head shook subconsciously. She could turn back, head back down the corridor. No, that would not work; she knew from the cries of the Volturi and the echo of snarls that behind those doors, lay a battle bigger than this one. Bella was right; she had lost her chance to get between the walls, ceiling and the tiger. She had to go through its legs and under its body, head, and vicious teeth. This ... this may be her most idiotic move to date, and she knew it. But she also knew she could not stay here. She took a deep, unnecessary breath as she stepped slowly back, giving herself a long enough run up. She heard Emmett taunting the creature, his voice deliberately louder than the light tapping of her footsteps. If it could have, her heart would have been pounding through her chest, adrenaline would have begun to rage ... 'fight or flight' ... human or vampire, it was a natural instinct with or without the physical symptoms.

"_Now_," Bella called amidst Emmett's distracting ramblings.

... Now it was then. Pushing off the balls of her feet, Rosalie darted forwards at speed. Her eyes fixed on the tail, making sure she would be able to avoid it, and seeing it swish to the left, she hopped to the right, and let her body fall towards the ground. She had wanted to close her eyes and hope for the best, but that was a ludicrous plan. She skidded gracefully under, balancing herself perfectly as she did so. Her eyes darted swiftly between the tiger's paws, glad that it seemed oblivious to her movements. Or so she thought. She had been looking at the wrong paw at the moment she emerged under its neck and almost to the safety of her husband and Bella. The tiger did not look down to her, yet its sharp hearing must have picked up on her precise location, and as she shifted her body forwards ready to run free, it swung its paw towards her.

"Rose!" Emmett warned, a moment too late.

The paw came crashing down over her. Her eyes caught sight of the blades as they swung towards her. She missed what happened next because it happened so fast. But the next thing she became aware of was Emmett and Bella snarling, and there being two sharp claws either side of her neck. She froze in place. Her eyes examining what had happened. She lay beneath the large paw, caged closely in by its dagger-like claws.

"Now what, Emmett? NOW WHAT?" Bella panicked, knowing they had played this all wrong. They had been in a great position before. They had him trapped. And now, it had them trapped. They could not attack, for if they did, it would tear Rosalie apart in a blink of an eye.

Emmett didn't answer, but his eyes darkened as they locked with the creature's. Messing with him was one thing. Messing with Rosalie was another. He ran his eyes over the beast, mapping out a mental plan of how they could attack without Rosalie becoming cat meat. The plan he summoned seemed slim, and dangerous, but he had to try. Without informing Bella of his tactics, he lunged forwards. As he did, the tiger hissed warningly and the sound of nails down a chalk board forced him to stop again.

"Emmett, don't," Rosalie asked him through her, at present, contained panic. The two sharp claws either side of her neck had closed in to a dangerous position. "I swear to hell, if he cuts my head off because you move, I'll ..."

She wasn't sure how to finish that, however, by the following silence, interrupted only by the shallow breathing of the tiger, she knew she had made her point.

"I'm not just leaving you there," Emmett replied, trying hard not to picture his wife decapitated. "Bella, we can take him. You go for Rose and ..."

"Emmett, think this through, look how it has her. We are fast, yeah, but not fast enough to save Rose and kill that thing at the same time," Bella spoke reasonably. "And all before it decides to close its paw and, you know."

Rosalie tried hard to calm her thoughts. It seemed at this moment that there was no way out, but there had to be, there always was. Her eyes examined the belly of the beast, and the striking markings upon it; the orange, yellow, white and black markings merged perfectly together. How could a creature of such exquisite beauty, be thoroughly evil? After all, she was not. Surely it could listen to reason? Her mind searched fast for anything that would help, and she could hear Emmett and Bella's pacing feet behind her. If they attacked the creature, even at what they judged to be the right moment, Rosalie knew there was no guarantee she would be free of its claws, and death, first. But this was not a creature. This was not just any oversized, horrific smelling cat. It was human. And humans, she knew too well, cave often too easily to the power of their feelings and emotions. She looked up, searching for the eyes of the beast, and instead could only see its neck, jaw, teeth and nose.

"Hey ... hey!" she called a little shakily, wanting to draw the attention of the beast. "I know you're here for the Volturi. I know they have one of your pack."

She heard Emmett and Bella stop moving, and she heard the sudden rumble of hate within the tiger's chest, and knew she was heading down the right path this time. "I'm not who you're looking for, I'm not one of the Volturi."

"What's she doing?" Bella asked in an alerted and slightly confused tone.

"Not sure," was all Emmett replied with, and with his eyes still locked on the tiger, he crouched in preparation to attack, ready to aid Rosalie if she needed him to.

Rosalie carried on. "I know he died and for that I'm sorry. Losing one of your own is unthinkable. And believe me, I understand you wanting revenge on those responsible. But I promise you that it's not me you want. I had nothing to do with his death. I was a prisoner here, not a member, and I detest the Volturi as much as I'm sure you do."

The large cat hissed again, but this time it was a cry of pain, not of anger. It paused to glare at Emmett and Bella, before quickly glancing down, and seeing her crimson eyes staring back.

"I know my eyes are the same as theirs... I can explain that too, but you're wasting time on me. I killed one of them, Jane, maybe you know her name?" she waited as the tiger glared hard at her, assessing her words carefully.

"She's right." Emmett relaxed his poise a little to show the tiger he meant it no harm at this moment, unless it threatened Rosalie that was. But he could see that her words seemed to be having some effect, and he growled warningly, "let her go."

"He won't understand. He's probably native to India like I heard Edward say, maybe he doesn't speak English?" Bella's worry was evident in her tone.

"Quiet!" Rosalie barked again, more concerned that her head was still perfectly placed between razor sharp claws at this moment, than being polite and debating what darn language it spoke. "It does, I can tell. My eyes are red, but not everything is always as it seems. I know you're a shape-shifter, and your true form in not that of a tiger. Do you see what I'm saying?"

The tiger, who was once again closely watching Emmett and Bella, seemed to nod as she spoke. Seeing this small gesture, a flare of hope ignited within her. Rosalie swallowed the venom that had collected in her pallet, hard; the vile smell of the creature becoming harder to endure. She had never smelt anything worse that Jacob Black before, but this was certainly it.

As Emmett glared into the tigers muddy-yellow eyes, he could see the hatred still swirling within them, and he began to lose his patience. He was not going to lose Rosalie again. "Let her go, or deal with me."

"Emmett!" Rosalie curtly stopped him as she felt the nails draw even closer to her delicate neck. "I'm fine, I can deal with this."

"He'll kill you Rose, he's just biding his time. I can see it in his eyes." Emmett's teeth gritted as he became steadily more aware, from the changing look in the tiger's eyes, that it was playing games with them and not understanding her as it appeared to be.

The tiger pricked its ears towards Emmett, and yet another hiss forced its way past its vicious looking teeth. Rosalie went to speak again while attempting to shuffle her body out from the claw cage. But as she did so, the tiger bent down towards her with his eyes still on Emmett. She could feel its hot breath brushing against her ice cold skin as its dark nose neared her. The hot air around her pulled away as it breathed in her scent, and with a snarl, it wrinkled its nose in disgust.

"I said, let. Her. Go," Emmett snarled, fed up of this waiting game.

The tiger let out a deafening roar, snapping its teeth towards Emmett in annoyance and leaping up on its hind legs in a crazed fit of rage. Seeing her moment, Rosalie jumped up. But before she could turn to run, the paw came down upon her again like a lightning bolt. She felt her body smash against the floor as the tiger pressed its full weight against her chest.

"Em ... Emmett ..." she choked out as she called for his help, the pressure of the creature's aggravation channelling to its paw, and crushing her chest harder against the now cracked ground.

That did it. Emmett snapped his teeth at the tiger, losing his cool as he launched himself forwards, reaching his arms out for its neck. Bella instantly began attacking from the other side, slashing her fists at its body, pulling at whatever her fists caught on to. It happened fast, and Rosalie barely had time to take in what was going on. She felt her chest crunch, followed by an almighty release of pressure before she was suddenly sent flying through the air. The pain hit her as she collided with a wall, and was sent tumbling through it. She landed hard against the ground, her head smashing and bouncing off the stone floor as she carved her shape into it.

She heard Emmett's snarls, the sounds of his feet pacing and darting about the heavier ones of the tiger, interspersed with Bella's lighter ones. Her eyes blurred as she attempted to grasp the reality of what had just happened, yet all she was able to see was a black mist that threatened to swarm in and consume her where she lay. With her last efforts, she brought one hand to her chest, aware of a sudden painful stinging. Her fingers pressed lightly between her chest, and horror filled her. She felt, with the tips of her fingers, a large gash in her chest that ran down to the middle of her stomach. It was the claw that had launched her through the air, as it had lacerated her chest, and released her to fight. The excruciating pain began raging through her, forcing her to cry out, at least, she was sure she had cried out. Her ears suddenly began to ring with a screaming high pitched bell, blocking out any other sound and preventing her even hearing Emmett's voice, movements ... his everything; he was the only sound she truly wanted to hear, and she couldn't.

Emmett spun about the tiger, attacking from every angle that was foolishly exposed to him. He heard Rosalie cry, and this only spurred him on. He had to finish this, and get to her.

"Bella," he called out as he slashed his dangerous fists towards the head of the tiger, "get Rose and get out."

"I'm on it," Bella called back as she darted around the two of them and through the Rosalie shaped hole in the wall. As her eyes fell upon the wounded Rosalie, she gasped.

"What?" Emmett called after her suddenly feeling a burst of worry, "She okay?"

"No, we have to get to Carlisle, Emmett, fast." Bella leant down over Rosalie, taking hold of her hand as she swept her up from the floor. "Hang on Rose, Carlisle can fix this. You'll be fine."

Rosalie felt herself shift, she felt the pain increase as her damaged chest was forced to move, and then it felt like she was flying. The pain was relentless, almost unbearable, as the memories of her turning began to compare to this in her distorted, spinning mind. She wondered for a moment, if this is how it felt for Emmett when she had found and carried him, but that memory was quickly pushed aside and replaced by the excruciating pain. There was a moment of silence, where she was sure she had lost consciousness, or as close to it as a vampire could come, before the shattering screams exploded from her.

"Shit ...You'll heal Rose. She'll heal right?" she heard Emmett ask Bella, panic in his deep voice.

"How ... the ... how'd you ...?" she tried to ask him as Bella gently placed her body into Emmett's waiting arms as they ran.

"You're fine babe," he smiled down at her, and knowing exactly what she was trying to ask, he continued, "Alec decided to come join the party. The stupid kitty decided he was more fun to play with than me. So I got out when he wasn't looking."

"Let's get out and find Carlisle, they must be out of here by now," Bella mused hopefully, with one further horrified look at Rosalie's chest.

They had not run far, but they had run fast when something else forced them to stop.

"Help! Anybody!" A young, female voice cried. Emmett was prepared to continue, knowing Rosalie was his priority, when he recognised the familiar sounds.

"Erica?" he called out, glancing down to Rosalie, who lay squirming in his arms.

Bella had already followed the sound of her voice, and was standing in front of a large door. "She's in here."

"Open it," Emmett demanded, not wanting to waste any time.

"Anybody?" Erica called out again as Emmett flew to Bella's side. Rosalie groaned as he did so.

Bella pulled once at the door, opening it with ease to reveal Erica standing with an extremely baffled, yet frightened expression on her face. In her arms, Alyan lay sleeping as Erica gently cradled him side to side. Emmett lifted his head fleetingly to greet her as he gently ran one hand across Rosalie's back in a soothing manner.

"Oh no! No, no, no ... Not you! Anybody but you! " Erica shook her head and took a few steps back into the room as she eyed Emmett standing before her. "Maybe I should have been more specific in my cries for help. I meant not someone who lied to me, tricked me, tells me he's a freaking vampire, and then leaves me in a big stupid room with more vampires and buggering off!"

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that," he murmured impatiently, while trying desperately to ignore the accusing glare Bella was firing at him, " ... but seriously, we are your best option for help right now."

"I'd rather stay here thank you very much." Her stare was cold and hard as she reached forwards in an attempt to shut the door again.

"Erica, it's us or twenty foot tigers who are hungry for revenge ... I'm just saying ... the choice is yours," Emmett shifted Rosalie in his arms.

"But we need to get to Carlisle, Rose is hurt ..." Bella hurriedly began to explain before trailing off at the strange expression dawning on Erica's face.

"So this is the infamous Rosalie? What problems you have caused me, even from afar ..." She stepped forwards, glancing briefly to Emmett before fixing her eyes upon the woman she had believed for so long to be the saviour of her, and her son. "Oh ... wow ... that looks really bad. What happened? There's no blood ..."

"We don't bleed," Emmett said while glancing down the corridor, checking there was no looming threat nearby.

"Honestly, I don't know why I care, but, will she be alright?" Erica peered closer at the deep gash through Rosalie, before examining her face. "She really is stunning."

Rosalie screamed again, in what could only be described as a bloodcurdling scream. Emmett pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, the only support he could offer her right now, "You're okay."

"Yeah, and I think she'd like to keep it that way," Bella mumbled as she turned on her heels and began to head away. "Are you coming with us or not? I'd like to live long enough to get home and see my daughter."

Erica hesitated while she took in the apologetic look Emmett was giving her, "Fine. But this is the last time I trust you. Any of you. And if you try any funny business I swear I'll ... I'll do something bad too you."

"Yeah, I get it," Emmett smiled half heartedly as he ushered her out of the door, and pulling Rosalie closer to him one again, they headed down yet another hallway.

"Which way?" Bella asked as they came to a cross of passages.

"Dunno, whichever one smells less like drowned cat," Emmett mused in disgust.

Rosalie groaned again as she attempted to sit herself up in Emmett's arms, and with a single movement, he adjusted her and allowed her head to fall against his chest. "Easy babe."

Her arms that hung loosely from her flew up and to her stomach, almost as thought she was trying to hold herself together, "Hurry!" she cried out before another surge of pain incapacitated her.

"This way." Bella darted down the right corridor, throwing a glance back to make sure Erica was keeping up with their annoyingly slowed pace. At the end of the hallway, to their delight, was what appeared to be an exit. Without hesitation, Bella flew at the door, bursting through it. Emmett followed, gently guiding Rosalie's body through.

"Still night," Bella sighed in relief. "Let's try and make our way around to the front, if the others aren't there then Carlisle told me the plan was to meet back at the house."

"Yeah," Emmett agreed.

"What? How ... far ... is ... the ... house?" Erica panted as she caught them up. "I'm sorry but I'm not a runner, not immortal, and my legs hurt."

"I can carry you if you like?" Bella offered uncertainly. "It would mean we could move quicker ..."

Erica blurted out a spout of laughter as she eyed Bella's small frame, "You mean you want to carry me_ and_ my son? Sorry, but you don't look strong enough sweetie."

"Believe me, she is," Emmett interjected with even more impatience than before.

Erica shook her head disbelievingly, "Okay, okay. If you think you can. It'll save me the walk."

Emmett didn't wait around to watch Bella gather Erica and Alyan up, and began striding along the perimeter of the large stone wall; he was desperate to get Rosalie to Carlisle and make sure that she would heal. He sniffed the air, searching for any scent or hint of his family being nearby, and strode on regardless.

...

They had only travelled about a mile or so around Volterra before he picked up Esme's scent. He knew that Bella was following close behind, so rapidly darted off in the direction his nose led him. They passed the familiar fountain in the square, and through several alleyways before the scent grew stronger. Bringing himself to a halt, he peered down a small, dark sidewalk to his left that led to a grassy opening where his sharp eye was drawn to a small flickering fire. By the fire he saw one figure standing alone, and instantly recognised the military stance to be that of Jasper. A few meters away he saw the others huddled together. Edward stood over Esme, who was knelt on the floor. Carlisle, thankfully, stood the closest to Emmett and furthest from the group.

"Here," he called back to Bella as darted towards them. He gave her no chance to speak before calling out, "Carlisle."

He flew down the narrow sidewalk, out of the city and into the open field. At the sound of his voice, Carlisle, and the others, had turned instantly to face him; relief evident on their seemingly tired faces.

"She's hurt," Emmett informed Carlisle as he gently, but hurriedly lay Rosalie on the ground before him. As he laid her down, an agonising cry left Rosalie's lips, shattering the otherwise calm and silent evening around them.

Carlisle bent instantly down at Rosalie's side, his eyes running over her apparent injuries, "Emmett, your shirt."

"Here," Emmett's voice was hard and serious as with one hand he ripped the shirt away from his back and placed it in Carlisle's waiting one; he knew she would heal, but it didn't dampen the flames of worry for his wife's wellbeing. "Why? There's no blood."

"It's not for blood," Carlisle replied gently, while stuffing the shirt in Rosalie's wide open mouth, "Sorry Rosalie, but I have to muffle to the sound. We can't draw any further attention to ourselves here."

"Oh heavens," Esme gasped as she flew to Rosalie's side, taking hold of one of her hands that was searching for any kind of comfort. "What happened?"

"Fucking tiger ..." Emmett growled, unable to hold back his hatred for the vile beast. "She'll fix up, right?"

"The wounds are deep, it will take some time." Carlisle pulled his eyes away from the deep laceration through Rosalie's chest and to Emmett, his eyes filled with the confidence that he knew Emmett was really asking for. "But, yes. She will be fine, Emmett."

Emmett brought himself to his feet, running his hands through his curly hair, and looking down on what he had only ever feared in nightmares; Rosalie being hurt. From the corner of his eye, he could see Bella placing Erica and Alyan down on the grass before darting into Edward's embrace.

"We need to get out of here and back to the house. There I can make sure she heals properly, Emmett. It will need cleaning also. Can you take her back? We will all accompany you, we can't afford to hover here any longer," Carlisle paused momentarily to glance at Esme, "I don't think this is over yet."

Emmett bent down once more, wrapping his arms around Rosalie as carefully as he could, and lifting her from the ground. She cried a muffled cry into his shirt as the pain surged through her again, pinching at every muscle in her body, and stabbing at every inch of strength she had left.

"Babe, I love you, you'll be alright. I promise," he whispered warmly into her ear as he drew her as close as was inhumanly possible. He knew she had heard him, for the moment he had spoken her cries had slowed to nothing more than a persistent whimper.

"Let's go," he firmly decided as he began to stride towards the cover of the trees. He had been so lost in Rosalie, that he had failed to notice anything else, anything else that also mattered, going on around him. As he stepped into the cover of the trees, his sharp ears heard no other footsteps accompanying him, and he quickly realised that they was alone. Huffing with impatience, he stopped and glanced back towards his family. They stood still. Silent. He took in the sight of Carlisle's arm wrapped tightly around Esme's shoulders. Bella's face buried deep into Edward's chest, as his face was masked in the curls of her hair while he muttered something clearly for her ears only. It was then that he once again noticed Jasper's silhouette standing alone by the flickering flames as they whipped and played in the light breeze.

"Wait ..." he muttered slowly, once again counting his family members. "What's going on?"

It was Esme who turned to address him, nudging Carlisle around with her as she turned, "Emmett, it's Alice. She ..."

Emmett's eyes widened as he instantly caught on to Esme's meaning; he didn't need to hear the rest of the sentence, and in truth, he wasn't sure if she finished it or not, or even if he wanted to hear it.

"Jazz?" He asked, looking to his brother's figure by the fire. "You have to be kidding me. Not Alice ... not Alice."


	20. This thing of darkness

_The song that fits with this chapter, and helped me write this chapter months ago (!), is a song by Sarah McLachlan – 'In the arms of an angel'. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and yes, it did make me very sad to write it! Sorry Alice lovers, I hope I can be forgiven...?_

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

This thing of darkness

The screams, snarling, tearing, ripping and burning had long ago faded from within the walls of Volterra. As had this cruel night, as the sun rose once again on its never-ending cycle; which meant of course, that they could not hover much longer in the open field. But today was not a day that the sun's rising was to be celebrated, not for Jasper, Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Bella, Emmett or Rosalie. For one person would not be leaving for the however brief safety of their hidden cottage. Motionless figures gathered around the large fire in the open and empty field, their golden eyes lost amongst the red and orange flickering flames. The fire raged higher and higher as it consumed the few stray Volturi guards, its embers dancing with the swirling smoke in mystical patterns.

"Just like her," Jasper whispered though his voice was barely formed, it was broken, and his face was stern yet scarred with pain.

There was a sudden agonising cry as from the corner of Emmett's eye, he saw Esme fall to the floor before she was quickly gathered up into Carlisle's arms. Emmett wrapped his arms tighter around Rosalie, drawing her closer into his broad chest. She still murmured every now and then, though her sobs of pain were now mixed in with the ones she now spared for her sister. Emmett knew in this moment how lucky he was to be holding Rosalie, intact or not, and vowed there and then to whatever omniscient being was listening, that he would never, ever let her go again. He then glanced towards Bella, seeing her eyes burn with the tears she could never shed for Alice. She sank to the ground beside Esme, wrapping her arms around her knees in an attempt to hold herself together. Edward tried to comfort her, but it was clear to Emmett that he was trying with all he had to block out their miserable thoughts. As he stood watching over his family, Emmett could not help but recall the events Esme had only just explained. She had tried to be careful with her words, not wanting to upset Jasper any more than necessary with the tale of his wife's death...

Alice had been brave once Emmett had left them. She had fought with everything she could beside Esme. But that fight was at a price, a much higher price than any of them could have imagined they would pay, or would ever have agreed to pay. When Esme had gone back into the centre of the frenzy for the human secretary, Alice had followed her. Yet they had not realised just how near the tigers had been to bursting through the doors. Esme, whose hand was now slightly torn at her wrist from the coming encounter, had bravely fought off the first of the tigers that had bounded towards them. Once she had managed to gingerly snap its neck, she had taken the human by the hand and attempted to lead her to the safety of her family behind the Volturi guards. But one of the guards had been caught up in the madness of the moment, and lost his self control. He lunged for the human, tearing her from Esme's hand with a surprising force, and had thrown Esme back towards the fire that was consuming Felix in the process. While taking down a smaller tiger only meters from Esme, Alice darted forwards, catching her mother only a split second before she would have landed in the fire that would have introduced her to the torments of hell. There was nothing either of them could have done for the human; she was an unfortunate, but necessary loss.

Esme had struggled to say it, but this move had been Alice's last. While Edward, Carlisle and Jasper had been attempting to fight their way through the tight line of Volturi guards, a much larger tiger had sprinted towards Esme and Alice. Esme recalled seeing it coming, but she knew she had seen it too late. There was nothing she could do save her daughter, though she _had_ tried. She had reached out for Alice, pulling her towards her own body as the tiger leapt with its bared, sharp teeth on display. At the same moment Esme had tugged Alice toward her, the tiger pounced again, latching its fangs into her shoulder, pulling Alice in the opposite direction. Esme sobbed as she described the last look she had seen in her daughter's eyes; fear, tinted with love as teeth had torn away her existence. The image Esme's words had created in Emmett's mind's eye would haunt him for decades to come. Though, he knew it would haunt Esme in a more ferocious manner and for longer; it was an image that would now forever torture Esme. That memory would be forever heard by Edward. And their dual pain would, in return, be forever felt by Jasper.

"It's ... the ... the memory is ... it ... it's ..." Esme had tried to explain, but had been overcome by grief.

There was no need for her to explain the rest. Alice was gone.

Emmett, who still clung tightly to Rosalie while she writhed, now silently in his arms, fixed his eyes upon Jasper. In his hand, he held a choker with the recognisable Cullen crest embedded into the centre of it; Alice's of course. While Alice had struggled in the last few seconds of her existence, it had been thrown through the air, and caught by Edward as he had also attempted to reach them. Emmett could see how tightly Jasper was clutching the only remaining fraction of his wife, and it hurt. Really hurt. He should have listened to Alice's pleas before all this had begun, and then maybe he could have spared them all of this. She had begged him 'for her sake', not to sneak off and change the plans. But he couldn't have known! He never had imagined that the price he would pay was the pain of another. Specifically ... Jasper's. Rosalie had led them here, yes. But he was now perfectly aware just how big a part he had played in the unfolded and miserable events. He had, unwillingly, put himself in Jasper's shoes to see how it would feel if it had been Rosalie they had lost. But he knew Alice would not want Jasper to give in, that she would hold on forever and wait for him somehow. Her laughter would ring in their ears for eternity, never to allow them to find the peace he knew Jasper would eventually crave; though he would not want it. The seeping memories in his mind would keep her alive to him, for however long it would be until he joined her. Emmett knew that Jasper didn't believe as Edward did about their lack of a soul, and Alice of all people could never be dammed to hell, to an eternity of unrest. She would laugh, dance and smile in the heavens as she watched over them. Emmett wanted to believe that, he had to believe that for his own sake. As these thoughts stumbled through his mind, he felt a stab of guilt as he gazed just past Jasper's figure, watching as with one arm Jasper clasped his chest where his stone heart rested, and where there was now only emptiness. What a glorious sadness Alice had left him with; pride for her bravery, but sorrow that she had left him here ... alone.

"You're never alone, Jasper." Edward spoke softly, reaching out one hand and placing it firmly on his brother's shoulder. Jasper swallowed hard as his lips pressed into a hard line, and nodded slowly. Understandably, he was unable to speak.

"We're here for you, bro," Emmett said, offering him every inch of support in the few words he could muster.

"We all are," Carlisle agreed sadly. "Emmett, I must see to Rosalie, her silence is worrying me. Plus, it's beginning to get light. Jasper, for now this is over. Take some time, say goodbye to Alice, and when you are ready, join us again."

The smoke from the fire rose higher once more, spiralling and twisting its way up to the bruising sky, and as Jasper watched the small display, he nodded once more. Rosalie tilted her head towards him, seeing him tie Alice's chocker to the belt of his torn jeans.

"I'm ... sorry, Jasper," she used all her strength to say. Despite her own agony, she was perfectly aware of what was going on. Her heart sank for her brother, the one with whom she held a special bond with while they played twins during their residence in Forks. When he didn't respond to her words, she let her eyelids flutter shut, and her head fall to rest on Emmett's chest. She could not bear to see him standing there alone, facing the fire that would eventually burn out and leave him too. Emmett said nothing to her, nothing to comfort her in the haunting silence that now swamped them, and he didn't need to; it would have been inappropriate at any rate. Instead, she felt his arms tighten around her back and legs. He was her rock, truly, her saviour.

With one last concerned look to Jasper, Emmett turned and followed in Carlisle's footsteps. In some ways, as horrid a thought as it may seem, he could not wait to leave the haunting scene before him. He would miss Alice, but he could miss her anywhere ... just, not here, not now.

...

"Jasper will need time, Edward." Rosalie heard Carlisle's voice echo through around the small bedroom. "We all will. With Aro's whereabouts unknown, and without the advantage of Alice's visions ..."

Carlisle's voice trailed off, before Edward finally finished his thought, "You don't think we are safe yet."

"Exactly," Carlisle's voice came once again after a prolonged silence.

Rosalie had heard them talking for some time now, and the words were painful to hear. They had reminisced about Alice and Jasper joining them all those years ago, laughed in a subdued tone about the best moments they each remembered sharing with her, and what they would each miss the most. She had only really listened to Emmett's memory; "I'll miss lil' sis's cheating at chess ... that time she swore she wasn't cheating, and then accidentally told me my next move ... I was so mad, but ... I'm glad for that moment now, you know?"

It reminded Rosalie somewhat of a funeral service ... but she knew it was what they needed to do in order to let Alice go. Let her go. How could they? How could they ever let such an integral part of their family be forgotten? Simple. Rosalie knew she never, ever would. Memories live on, haunting or not, they keep someone real. So does the pain.

She slowly brought herself upright from the lumpy and uncomfortable bed, and instantly as a sharp stab of pain forced a small whimper from her lips, she remember why she had been lying down. But she had been her for almost two days now. Two days of listening to voices that she loved, listening to them speaking of the one voice they would never hear again. And she had decided enough was enough. As she sat up, she slid off her silk red top; it was one of her favourites that Esme must have thought to bring for her. As she let it fall over her carefully placed arms, she glanced down to the neatly wrapped, ripped sheet that she had watched Carlisle wrap around her on their return. It was not to keep out infection as a human would require, but to help bring her skin back together in order for it to heal. She could already feel her chest beginning to form again; it was the most bizarre feeling, almost like someone was literally stitching her back together, and she hated it.

"Please don't scar," she murmured to herself as she gently traced her middle finger down the hidden slash. It stung, but it was bearable in comparison to before. Yes, she was worried naturally about the physical ugliness of a scar down her middle, but, it was also the mental reminder that she would be forced to see for eternity if it refused to fade. "Just my luck ..."

Steadily, she slid herself off the bed and onto her feet. She balanced a moment, crippled over, before she found the strength to stand. As she did so, she felt a small ripping between her breasts that forced her to freeze. It was the sound that caused a brief flood of panic; a screeching so painful to her ears that she felt them pull inwards.

"No!" she muttered a little louder this time, knowing that it was her weakened flesh once again ripping in a thankfully small area. Regardless, she was so desperate to see the faces she loved after being confined up here, that she forced herself to dress hurriedly. And so, as she pulled the neatly piled clothes from a chair in the corner, she wondered why she had seen so little of Emmett. In her two day recovery period, she had seen him twice yesterday, compared with the several hours he had spent at her side while Carlisle had worked his magic. With her clothes on, she ran her fingers through her hair, sweeping it up into a neat ponytail, before twisting it and letting it fall gently over her shoulder. It took her a moment, after worrying that more movement would delay the healing process, for her to make her way out into the corridor and steadily down the old wooden stairs. As she reached the bottom, she realised the house had fallen silent. Of course, they would have heard her coming. She glanced up and to her left, where there was a small doorway to a pointless kitchen that was empty of bodies. To her right, another doorway was carved into the whitewashed wall. In there, she saw Emmett's large figure resting against the wall, his arms traditionally folded over his chest, his features stern and furrowed in thought. Next to him sat Bella who was perched lazily in the window seat, her legs were folded with Edward's, and as Rosalie's eyes drew up his legs and to his face, she saw him staring blankly at her. His gaze was dull, numb almost, with no feeling in them at all. She steadily made her way across the hall to stand in the doorway. Carlisle, from where he sat huddled with Esme on the small couch, looked over to her instantly with concern in his eyes.

"Rosalie, you're up," he informed her in a monosyllabic voice, as thought she had not realised this herself yet. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she answered stiffly, her eyes drawing back to Emmett as though he were a magnet. There was a moment of awkward silence. No-one knew what to say. Well, no-one knew what to say to _her._

"The thing I remember most about Alice, was her smile. It was so infectious," she paused as her small reminiscent laugh was the only sound to be heard. If they were going to have a memorial, of sorts, for Alice, she did not wish to be excluded from it. "And her shopping trips, and amazing style advice. What more could a sister want?"

"Love," Edward barked bitterly from his slumped seat; yet only to receive a disapproving nudge from Bella. "... Life."

"Hey," Emmett warned him gently. "C'mon, Rose has been through enough too."

"Quite right, Emmett," Esme finally managed to say. "Come, Rose, take my seat. You need to rest or you won't heal."

"No ... thank you Esme," she answered almost too formally, and instead she made her way gracefully towards Emmett. A hug was all she needed. Just to feel his arms around her again. But as she reached him, she stopped, "I am ... sorry. I cannot be sorry enough for what I have put you all through. And I am fully aware that if I had not acted so ... so ... thoughtlessly, then this would not have happened. But, you cannot hold this over me forever, surely, Edward?"

"Not forever. But for the foreseeable future, yeah, I can," he grumbled back.

"Edward, please. You would have done the same! " Rosalie tried again, desperately wanting them to understand her point of view. "I love Alice! I love her as much as any of you!"

"This is not the time Rosalie, and thank you for the apology. But we have heard it before, not long ago, if you recall," Carlisle reminded her gently.

"What do you mean about doing the same Rose, love?" Esme asked inquisitively, trying to change the subject and avoid an untimely argument.

Rosalie took a deep, unnecessary breath as she decided what parts to tell them, and which parts to keep to herself, "Jane forced me to leave. It was that, or Emmett's life. I know that each of you would have chosen the same as I did."

"Yes," Bella agreed quietly from the corner, "I would have chosen Edward's life too."

"We did not know your version of events Rosalie. Now we have a clearer idea, I am sure opinions will change," Carlisle glanced directly at Edward, "Right?"

Edward held Carlisle's gaze, before huffing and turning away. As he did so, Rosalie glanced up to Emmett, searching for some support or understanding.

"You alright?" was all he asked in his deep, gruff voice.

"Mmmm," she murmured back disappointedly, though he opened his arms to her, and she fell into his embrace. "Thank you for coming for me. All of you."

"Of course we would have Rosalie, you are family," Esme smiled sadly.

"Jazz'll be back soon I reckon. Then we're outta here. Forget the rest of the Volturi, they're no threat now." Emmett grinned his cheeky, wonky smile with a little less enthusiasm than normal. As Rosalie gently pressed her body into his, she felt like she had never left, never been without him.

"What about Alice?" she finally asked. "Are we leaving without her?"

Carlisle replied thoughtfully, "there isn't much we can do, Rose. Alice ..."

"I know. I know what happened," She interrupted him quickly. "I heard you talking. But we can't just leave her in Volterra, surely?"

"The place is changed, babe." Emmett said into her golden hair.

"What do you mean?" she questioned, glancing up to him once again.

"Edward and I have kept an eye on the situation. The shape-shifters left last night, and since then there have been several surviving guards cleaning up and disposing of ... parts," Carlisle recalled to his clear dismay. "We managed to get in briefly early this morning to look for her, but it was immaculately clean inside ..."

"Like nothing had ever happened," Edward's voice came again, though he stared out the window now. "Jasper is close."

"Rosalie, Emmett, I mean this with no disrespect to either of you. But perhaps it would be better if you were not here," Carlisle began before Edward once again spoke over him.

"He blames you, Rosalie." Edward spoke what he was obviously hearing through Jasper's mind.

"Me? Why me?" she asked a little defensively. "I didn't kill her, Edward."

"Nope. But I'm guessing it's that she was here 'cuz of you ... right?" Emmett mumbled as he brought himself and Rosalie away from the wall.

"That may be." Carlisle shifted the silent Esme from his shoulder as he prepared to stand meet Jasper. "This was not your fault. But, understand how Jasper sees it at this moment, Rosalie. Erica and Alyan are in the garden. I _trust_ you both to take them _safely_ back to Forks. They have had a lot to deal with, and we need to speak with Erica once she is back in familiar territory. We have much to explain to her."

The warning, Emmett knew, was directed at him, though he was busy mulling over the previous comment about Alice's death not being Rosalie's fault. His little sister had warned him, and it was that memory that kept him silent. Was it his fault?

"Fine, I hear you." Rosalie stepped out of Emmett's embrace as his arms dropped from her. "Thank you for the clothes by the way, Esme."

"It wasn't me, dear, it was Emmett," she replied warmly, yet her eyes gazed off into the distance.

"Oh," Rosalie gasped with surprise. "Baby, thank you."

"Don't worry 'bout it," he mumbled again without looking to her. Of course she would not have guessed that he could have thought that far ahead for her. Silly to think she would have really. "Let's go."


	21. Chaos has come again

_A/N: Just to thank you all for your patience and messages of support – meant a lot to me at a difficult time, thank you all so much. Thanks to both Devoured_Words_Unspoken and xelectrogirlx for their amazing amount of input with Emmett and Esme in this chapter through role play. And also for your massive amount of support lately. That said, it's good to get writing again! Apologies, there is a lot of dialogue to wade through here! _

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

Chaos has come again

They had only made it as far as the back door to what Rosalie had already decided was the pointless kitchen, before she found herself unable to take a single step further. Edward and Carlisle's words still rung in her ears, and the thoughts that Alice's death had been solely her fault were more painful now than her physical wounds ever caused her. She took a deep breath, gathering the courage to ask Emmett the question she most feared the answer to.

"Was it my fault?" she asked softly, yet directly. He had just placed one hand on the door handle when she had spoken, and at hearing her words, he quickly shut the crack in the door to the outside world. Sighing heavily, and after what seemed a lifetime of silence, he let his hand fall from the door to his side. His stance was not as proud and bold as usual, but instead was slightly hunched and defeated. He did not want to discuss this now. But knew he had to.

Without turning to face her, he spoke quietly. "What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to tell me the truth," she challenged again. "Do you blame me?"

In a split moment, he was away from the door, running his hand through her golden hair and pressing his body to her, his eyes held hers with a glare so cold it startled her very core. "Yeah, I blame you."

Taken by surprise, she could do nothing but stand in utter dismay and stare back into his eyes, searching for anything other than blame; for love. But all she could see in the reflection of his golden eyes, was herself. Is that what he wanted her to see? To finally see all that she has done, and stand up and face it? Her lips began to quiver, and in an attempt to hide her blatant shock and train wreck of emotions from him, her eyes darted to the side and down to the unjudging floor.

Finally, after following her gaze before looking back to her almost scared face, he said gently, "I can see no one but you to blame, Rose. We need to find Erica."

Staring harder at the floor, Rosalie began fighting hard to contain the sobs she could feel trying to force their way out from her lips; her breathing growing shorter and sharper as she searched for anything to defend her actions. "I chose you, Emmett! I chose you. I could have let Jane and Felix come for you, but I didn't."

"You should have let them," he said with a dismissive scoff, his arms folding defensively across his broad chest. "We could have been ready and taken them out."

"NO! No you couldn't have. They had the shape-shifter, you wouldn't have stood a chance, and you know it," she said almost in a cry, lifting her eyes up again and searching for his, only to see them staring off into the distance. He could barely stand to look at her, his thoughts consumed with the loss of Alice and the idea of blame.

She could feel the anger rising from within her. How dare he? How dare he be insinuating that she should have led Jane and Felix to him, and in return, leading him to his death. "You cannot ask me lose you. You can't ask that..."

"We'd have stood a better chance together, and at home," he growled through gritted teeth, his fists clenching as he drew them down to his sides. "You should have sent them to me, then just maybe Jasper would still have Alice. We all would."

Suddenly a surge of fire rose up through her, forcing her to snap, not out of anger, but out of desperation. "NO! Is that how little you have come to think of me that I would send them to kill you?"

She reached out her hands, placing them either side of his strong jaw and forcing him to finally look upon her face again, too see her wide, wild eyes. "No matter what you think of me now Emmett, I would never do that. I did what I thought was right! ... Could you really ask me to send them to you? To let them try to kill you. How DARE you ask me to lose you!"

"I'm not asking that," he said through still gritted teeth, hating to see the desperation in her expression. "But you should have chosen better."

Slowly, she drew in several deep breaths in an attempt to control her spiralling emotions before shouting back. "I made the decision that I thought was right! If I could go back, I would. And if I had let them come, and Alice had ... died anyway, you would all still blame me!"

"Yeah, possibly. But at least I wouldn't have to blame myself as well as you," he said in a muffled tone, before straightening himself up and turning to face the door that could be his escape from all of this.

Rosalie stood still, attempting to control her pointless breathing as she soaked in his words, "What? How can it be your fault? You have made that perfectly clear that it's mine."

"Alice knew what was going to happen. She told me and I didn't listen. I went my own way Rose, consumed by the thoughts of getting you back. My perfect Rose, my angel." Rosalie stood perfectly still, watching his every move intently and absorbing his words. His clenched fists shook with release to finally no longer be the only bearer of this knowledge. "So yeah, we _all_ know you can be selfish Rosalie, but so can I!"

"I didn't ..." she had just begun to say when his fist slammed down against the unsuspecting table by his side, shattering it into pieces.

"And why am I to blame, Rosalie? BECAUSE OF YOU. But that doesn't change the fact that it's still my fault too." His eyes were narrowed, a total contrast to Rosalie's wide, burning ones, as they darted to the open doorway, and he knew instantly that this conversation was not just between the two of them. They all would have heard. That was just perfect.

As his fist had collided with the table top, Rosalie had jumped, startled by his sudden rage. He was always so much better at controlling it than her, so it came as a surprise that he seemed no longer to be standing by her side, or controlling his temper.

"You knew?" Her eyes narrowed as they focused hard upon his, drawing him into a deadly stare. "You knew, AND YET YOU BLAME ME."

Now it was Emmett's turn to have nothing to say. Only to stand and stare as she threw her arms up into the air. "You let them blame _me_ when you could have stopped this!"

"Because I CHOSE YOU," he said, spitting the words out amongst the venom that had collected in his pallet. His breathing, as unnecessary as hers, was wildly erratic, his eyes darkened and narrowed.

There are no words. No words that come to her aid this time. So they stood in perfect silence, staring into each other's pained eyes and creased features.

"... sorry," she finally managed to say, though her words were cracked with sorrow and heartache. "I'm sorry that yet again you had to choose _perfect_ little me. But I'm not _perfect,_ am I Emmett? I screwed up. And now Alice is dead and we're stood here fighting like cat and dog!"

"She's dead," he repeated her words as though checking they were true. "You asked me if I blame you? Yeah I do. But you didn't ask if I blame me. And I do. So now we can equally share the hate coming towards us."

"Is that why you did it?" Rosalie's features softened as she looked upon her husband, seeing inside his head almost for the first time. "Did you ignore Alice so you could take the blame with me? Share it with me?"

Emmett gritted his teeth, wishing as she had said the words that that had been the case. "If I knew I would not have come for you when I did."

"Well that's just ... Perfect!" Her reaction to that was selfish, and she knew it. Yet still she couldn't help but feel the sharp, pointed edge of the dagger of betrayal. She had expected that answer, yet it hurt to hear it. She wasn't always first in his eyes ... and if she was ... others suffered. Her eyes burned with a sudden uncontrollable desire to hurt him too, unlike any she had ever felt before. "Maybe you shouldn't have come, and I could have just satisfied myself with Felix."

"You selfish _bitch_ Rosalie," he snarled, shooting her a look that, if looks could kill, would have ended her there and then. He saw her heart breaking as he spoke the next few words, and in truth, it killed whatever remained of his soul. "I have stood by you through everything. Every stupid thing you have done. Every selfish moment! Every action you have done that has brought destruction to us. When you gonna stop?"

"I've stopped!" she tried to tell him, suddenly wishing she had not pushed the boundaries of his patience quite so far. If tears could have formed, they would be spilling upon her cold, porcelain cheeks. "I'll stop now!"

"Too late Rosalie ... too late," he muttered, giving in to despair and defeat. His eyes glanced to the old, dusty bottle of champagne on the shelf behind her. "Pour the champagne. We're done."

The gasps from the living room were unmistakable. The realisation, that momentarily seemed to avoid Rosalie, had hit the family hard. But all Rosalie could do was feel tingles through her body. Did the walls close in around her when he had spoken this time? Had the floor fallen from beneath her feet, and what pointless air she had harboured in her lungs get stolen from her? _'We're done' ... _What did he mean? Her eyes, that seemed unable to focus upon anything, suddenly began darting around the room for her husband. But he was gone. The door had closed.

"NO!" she screamed after him in a strangled, agonised tone. "You will _not_ walk away and leave me here. YOU WILL NOT!"

She ran for the door, flinging it open with a bang as it landed hard against the wall. "Emmett!" she screamed with all the strength she could muster. "Come back!"

She scanned the garden as fast as her eyes would allow, the surrounding fields and forest, but her eyes never landed upon their target. He was gone.

"Rosalie!" She could hear Esme calling after her, but she could not stop her feet walking their own unwritten path to find him. Numbness hit her body, desperation flooded her mind, knives stabbed at her heat. What has she done?

"Please, Rosalie, wait," Esme's voice was close now as she ran along behind her, and into the cover of the forest. Rosalie knew the exact moment Esme caught up with her, and placed a soft hand on her arm, trying to stop her, even when this felt like a dream. NO. She would not stop.

"Emmett!" her strangled, pained cry came again, bouncing against the trees and back to her sensitive ears in a lonesome call.

"He's gone!" Esme finally forced herself to say, against her better judgement, knowing the words would hurt her daughter. They hurt her too. "Talk to me, Rose, we have to talk."

Rosalie stopped. Her hands flew up to her chest that concealed her sinking heart. No thoughts entered her mind. Nothing. And for a split moment there was peace.

"I'm sorry..." Esme began, interrupting that peace when she turned Rosalie to face her with a single movement. " I understand that you want to look for him, but not now. Too much has happened."

"You're right, of course," she replied in a dead, slow voice. "He just needs a moment maybe before he comes back."

"No, Rosalie, look at me," Esme said in her gentle, warm tone. "I don't think he's coming back."

And then rage hit again, resentment spoiling her features as she deflected her pain upon Esme. "How can you say that? How! Of course he's coming back, it was an argument. A stupid argument!"

"Unlike any you have had before," Esme said, keeping calm despite the venom she knew she would receive in return. "I have never heard Emmett speak to you like that. Ever, Rosalie."

"I suppose you were listening," Rosalie barked as she stared blankly through Esme, venom predictably in her tone.

"It was hard not to, dear. We all heard. It wasn't one of your quieter conversations, was it?" Esme replied gently.

"Wonderful." Was all Rosalie could manage to say. "He's coming back."

"You are both passionate individuals, Rose. Like you, he needs time to cool, you know that. But that was no ordinary disagreement, and I think you know that, hmm?" Esme gingerly placed her other hand on Rosalie's limp arm, holding her in place, or, more rightly so, upright.

But Rosalie's body shuddered with tearless sobs that began ripping through her, as the truth of the situation landed on her, and literally, knocked her from her feet. Esme let her fall to the floor, lowering herself with Rosalie in order to keep a hold on her.

"Bella," Rosalie spat out nastily after several minutes of uncontrollable screaming.

"What?" Esme asked, confusion causing her brow to pull together.

"She did this. If she hadn't come, if she hadn't tortured Edward's soul, and we'd let her die when she was destined to, we would never have been led to any of this! The Volturi would never have come, they would never have bothered us, threatened us, found a way to ruin us! I wouldn't have made stupid decisions. Alice would be alive and ... he wouldn't have gone!" There were too many emotions running through Rosalie for her tone to pick and focus on.

Esme stared disbelievingly at Rosalie for a moment, straightening out her arms in order to take in her words, and think. When she spoke, her tone had an unusual hint of irritation, "Do not blame Bella for this Rosalie. This was you. Not only you, but you cannot continue to blame everybody else. You HAVE to take some responsibility at last. Bella has brought her own problems, you're right. But Emmett fighting with you, and subsequently leaving, was not because of her. Was it? Bella has stood up for you on several occasions now; when we voted whether or not to come to Volterra for you, even if it meant a fight. But not only that. A moment ago, she stood by you then too ... you have not always been kind to her, Rosalie, yet she has been to you."

"So what, Esme?" Rosalie asked coldly, her stone glare now fixated on her mother figure. "Blame me and only me? I am tired of being the only one to blame!"

"I am _not_ blaming you, none of us are, not entirely at least. We all have our parts to play here, some just better or worse than others," Esme's tone was firmer than Rosalie was used to hearing, and it somewhat shook her. Rosalie's dramatically erratic breath caused Esme to pause for a moment before continuing in a softer, warmer voice once more, "You acted wrongly at first, but out of love. And for that you cannot be blamed. But take a moment to look at the entire picture, Rosalie. Your actions, and do not think I have forgotten Emmett's too, were all key factors that led the Volturi to us again. And that led to ... Alice's death."

Her words were harsh, but as Rosalie finally managed to calm herself enough to take them in, she knew that they were true. She was to blame, she had acted wrongly. She saw herself for a moment in Emmett's eyes. Saw everything she had done wrong ... and the final crack in her heart broke, shattering it entirely. And finally she whispered, "What have I done?"

Esme, sensing Rosalie calming, drew her into a tight embrace, but said nothing.

"Tell me he's not gone," Rosalie pleaded through her sobs and into Esme's shoulder.

"I wish that I could. But Edward said his thoughts, although jumbled, were adamant about leaving." It was clear that Esme wished to say something other than the truth, but there was no point in lying. Lies had already done too much damage to this family. "But not just that ... he loves you desperately. That was there in his thoughts too. So there is still some hope that eventually you can reconcile things between you both. I want that just as much as you do!"

"Hope," Rosalie scoffed quietly. "What hope have any of us had without the other?"

"Time apart will be good for you both. I am sure of it," Esme said with a slightly uplifting tone, as though that was some good news. "We have all had quite the shock this week, and we all need some time to heal now. He may come back, when he is ready, and his feelings about you and Alice are organised."

"No, Esme, No!" Rosalie's whole posture now reflected the panic she felt. "How can I be without him? We don't work apart!"

"This is new for us all, we will find a way. Together." A small, forced smile of encouragement pulled at the corner of her lips as she eyed her daughter closely. Rosalie's actions were likely to be as unpredictable as now as ever, and she had to be careful to not send her fleeing too. Two members vanishing were more than enough for Esme to deal with.

"What am I supposed to do?" Rosalie questioned helplessly.

Sighing Esme answered as honestly as she could. "I can't tell you that, dear. You and Emmett both seem to have a lot of blame and guilt to be working through, maybe start there. One more thing ... Edward got a clear picture of what happened with Alice. And it seems Emmett wasn't fully aware of the consequences after Alice spoke with him. She kept it coded in her own way, and it seems she never directly told him of her vision. There was ample time for her to change the course of events, so she knew what she was doing. Just think about that, okay?"

"I'll be sure to think about it endlessly." Rosalie stiffly got to her feet, her eyes staring off into oblivion as she began to wonder back to the house.

She left Esme sat alone on the dry forest ground, as she almost 'drunkenly' made her way back to the house. Her steps were small, and she gave no thought at all to where her now clumsy feet landed. She could almost feel nothing now as her mind began to protect itself, blocking out every emotion she knew better than to hang onto. Numbness seemed a much, much better path to take. But no matter how much she numbed her body to the emotions, her mind still raced.

She never, ever would have wished Alice dead. Her sweet, charming sister who danced with every step she took. Her sweet, bell-like voice that Rosalie had often felt put even her vocal chords to shame. She would never again see Alice's bright golden eyes, her small pixie-like, and gentle face. But those thoughts did not last long, and once again, she quickly moved to blame; to the blame of others, and to questions. Esme had said that Edward had seen through Emmett's mind what had happened. But how, how had he not heard Alice's thoughts at the time? She was smart, had maybe even scrambled her thoughts, but there must have been something there ... some hint of what she knew was going to happen. Or did she not think about it and simply accept it? Either way, someone had to be blamed for this. And no matter how big or small a part the others had played, Rosalie had played the greatest, and she began to realise that. Emmett was right. How long was she going to continue to be selfish? To think of herself, and only others later? She had to make some changes. Her family were her main focus; they always had been, no matter what other agenda she seemed to force upon them, and herself. If there was one thing she was sure of, it was that Alice would never want them to pity her, miss her of course, but spiral into destruction ... no. Alice was the light of the family, the positive spin among them. And that, Rosalie decided as she neared the house, was how she was going to remember her. She would light a candle every night for her sister, and forever keep her with her.

As for Emmett, she couldn't face that yet. Not as well as Alice, it was too much for any heart to take. And hers was broken entirely now. She thought about what to do without him, but nothing came. So, for the time being, she would do nothing. She would wait for him to come back to her. And miss him.

Stepping into the garden, she noticed in her peripheral vision that Erica sat in the furthest garden chair from her, rocking a baby gently in her arms. She had forgotten about Erica. And in truth, she would forget now, because that was beyond the boundaries of her coping mechanism. Maybe one day she would be able to talk to her, and fix what destruction she had caused there. And maybe one day, this family would fall back into place. Her eyes, that darted quickly away from Erica, who was staring at her with a baffled expression that creased her plain features, fell accidentally upon the second floor window. And she jumped. Nerves shot through her. In the corner of the window, dark eyes glared down over her... No, not over her, but directly into her own eyes. Jasper's face was hard, military, and cold. He did not move, no expression dawned across his face. As she stared back, unable at first to pull away, worry crept up on her. There was something mysterious about his positioning in the window, something ... terrifying.


	22. Ghosting through

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

Ghosting through 

But Emmett didn't come back. Hours passed, days passed, and eventually weeks. Rosalie, while they had remained in Italy to keep an eye out for Aro under Carlisle's instruction, had hidden herself away in the small, closet sized room. The excuse for a window above her bed became the enemy, as it never showed her husband speeding along the garden, and back to her. But that had not been the worst part of being so confined. The worst part was being so close to Jasper. Knowing he was only ever meters away. How had it come to this? To her own family, her brother, her 'twin', wanting her dead as much as she assumed he did? On the few occasions that she had forced herself to leave the confinements of her room, she had felt him watching her. Every move she made, he was there. His eyes that would follow her, burned through her. Everything she did, which was in fact very little, was closely watched. He never spoke to her, nor to the others, which Rosalie knew was causing Carlisle and Esme great distress. Not only were they trying to grieve for Alice, along with everyone else, but they also had to try and focus on Jasper, as well as worry about Emmett's whereabouts, and both their state of minds. Rosalie had heard their muttered conversations in the hallways, the garden, the kitchen, in which Edward would divulge the intricate workings of Jasper's mind. Only one thing became clear, and it was not of his loss of Alice, although naturally it weighed heavily on his mind. It was his growing desire for revenge on Rosalie. And it scared her. The way he looked at her, on the rare occasions she had met his glare, made her more than uncomfortable. She had tried to talk to him, to explain herself and say how sorry she was about Alice, and how she missed her dearly. But no sooner had she opened her perfect lips, did Edward and Carlisle take her by the arms and hurry her from the room. No doubt Edward had heard Jasper's thoughts ... Clearly, although they never told her directly, Jasper was unstable, and a threat.

Esme had sat with him for hours, under the illusion of trying to comfort him, but in truth, Rosalie thought it was more to guard, and to keep them apart. Late at night, when the moon shone its glory down through the window to her, she had wished to walk into Jasper's arms and let him end her. It would be easier than this pointless, emotionless existence she seemed to be ghosting through. She would be put out of this misery, and he would have his revenge. Problem over. But if she did that, she knew she would never get a chance to hold Emmett again, if there was a chance at all.

Hallucinations of Emmett returning to her began tormenting her fragile mind. For several weeks, she inflicted upon them all hours of screaming his name in the hope that he might hear her. Bella, having been through a similar experience herself, stayed close to Rosalie, much to her annoyance. Yet she was oddly thankful for the company at times in which her head was clearer. But no matter how Esme and Bella attempted to sooth her, it never worked. The screaming and tearless sobbing would only end once the hallucination vanished, when she had lost him again, seen Alice in the distance and never been able to reach her. It was then that Jasper would play with her, twist and confuse her emotions to the point of torture. Esme and Alice could only with sit at her side and stroke her hair the way Emmett used to; a lesson they had picked up from him on calming her down. Mostly, they would sit in silence while she struggled against Jasper's control and influence. Other times, when Jasper too would be calmer, they would recall their favourite memories of Alice. For Jasper, she knew these were the worse to hear. For Rosalie, each mention of Emmett's name caused a smashing in her heart again. Eventually, she could scream no more, and resorted to sitting still, rigid, and silent.

Bella and Edward had begun to take turns over the weeks to hunt, and once they had returned, Esme and Carlisle would go. They asked her to join them on every occasion, but she never accepted the invitation. Then, once they had asked her and she had silently refused, they would invite Jasper. He always went with them, never indicating any hint of resistance, and never speaking. The hunger for blood now caused her physical pain. The last of the Arturo's blood had left her system, but with the lack of animal blood to replenish her body, her eyes had turned a dull, amber-red, rimmed with black. Ironic really, the confliction in her eyes, as it suited her mood and situation perfectly. The gash to her chest had healed, leaving a minimal scar between her breasts. Carlisle had complained, encouragingly, that if she wished it to heal faster and leave a lesser scar, then she should hunt and stop depriving her body of a necessity. But what was the point without Emmett, her only reason for existence? So over the month, she grew weaker. A foolish move, for she would not have the strength to defend herself from Jasper.

"You have to drink. I will not watch you waste yourself in starvation, Rose dear," Esme had eventually confronted her, while bringing her a glass of freshly drained animal blood from her hunt. The smell that filled the room was almost irresistible, yet, she desired not to drink it; as difficult as that was for her. They were free to act normally now, seeing as Carlisle had sent Erica back to America with enough money to live on for a lifetime. Rosalie was never to know, it had been decided in secret, about Erica's initial desire to give her Alyan. Erica, naturally, had changed her mind about coping with her son, and point blank refused to hand her child to such _monsters_, as she had called them. Taking the money, for Erica, had been payment enough to keep their secret. Though Edward kept a check on her thoughts, and made it clear that she was far too terrified and confused to tell anyone for fear of being branded insane.

After almost eight weeks, Carlisle had decided enough time had passed for Emmett to return to them, or for Aro to hunt them out. Neither had happened, and the decision to head back to Forks had been made. Bella and Edward were missing Renesmee terribly, though they had called her every night. The last call Bella had made to Jacob and Renesmee had been enough to push her to demand that they return immediately; she had told Rosalie during her sitting shift with her, that the separation was unbearable now, though nothing in comparison to her or Jasper's situations.

Steadily, and under heavy surveillance, Jasper was allowed to spend more time nearer Rosalie. Carlisle had insisted that it was necessary to help them all cope with Alice's death together, but also in preparation for the travelling back to Forks; where there would be no walls or doors to hide behind. Yet, even when the others seemed a little more at ease, Rosalie noticed that when Jasper knew no one was focused solely on him, he would return to staring blankly at her, and play subtly with her moods. But after weeks of studying Jaspers mind, Rosalie had overheard Edward telling Carlisle that Jasper seemed less set on tearing her apart, and more on trying to keep himself together. As true as she was sure that was, Rosalie couldn't help but feel something about it was wrong. The constant feeling of his hateful eyes on her did nothing to settle her hesitations.

But the real issues had arisen when Carlisle had insisted they all hunted before beginning the journey back to Forks; mostly because of the inevitable close proximity to thousands of humans at airports, and he did not want to risk that with hungry vampires. But Rosalie had been right to stay alert, even as weakened as she had become. Jasper had a tactical, military trained mind, one not too mess with. He may have fooled Edward with his calmer thoughts, but he had not fooled her. She could still feel the more subtle influence and changes to her moods; mostly negative ones.

While hunting on this irritatingly compulsory trip, Rosalie had managed to catch a Gatto selvatico, a wild cat, and thankfully regained some strength. But upon catching sight of a mountain bear that had wondered far from its habitat in the Gran Sasso Mountains, she had been distracted by thoughts of Emmett. Even though Carlisle had separated her and Jasper by several miles, Jasper knew when his family were focused by the hunt, and the exact moment to make his move. This, he had clearly decided, was it. In a last second thought, to avoid detection by Edward, Jasper launched himself through the forest towards her. In several seconds after he had made the decision, he leapt from the bushes behind Rosalie, pinning her to the floor and wrestling against her for her throat. His eyes, wild and almost savage, glared crazily into hers, his teeth were bared yet his movements were still swift and tactical, as she had expected they would be. Thankfully, Edward had not been far, and had thrown himself at Jasper, taking a deep gash to his arm from Jasper's flailing nails. In only seconds, Carlisle, Edward and Bella had him restrained against a large tree. And the few seconds of frightful danger were over.

Rosalie had sat up, stared at her brother in horror, and in sorrow, as she sat motionless amongst the logs and leaves about her. Jasper spat and snarled at her still, even when being held down, and as she watched him fighting against their family, her eyes flew shut. He truly, absolutely, hated her.

That had been enough for Esme and Carlisle to separate the family. Jasper, Edward and Carlisle left Italy together. Shortly after, Esme, Bella and Rosalie followed them. Once back in Forks, things continued to worsen, but it became harder to separate Jasper from Rosalie. He manipulated her emotions almost constantly, and made it perfectly clear that he blamed her. He tried harder and harder to get past Edward and to her. And with each attempt he made on her life, he got closer.

...

"I don't know what to suggest for the best, Rosalie," Carlisle informed her at a family meeting when Jasper had left alone to hunt. He had told Rosalie that it was important that she attend the meeting, as Jasper had become a great worry to him, as had her immediate safety. "We cannot abandon Jasper now; he is dealing with too much. But we cannot allow his persistent attacks on you to continue. We all know that mistakes over the last year have been made, but it's time we try to put ourselves back together."

"I don't see how," Edward mumbled. His elbows propped his worn looking face up in his hands. He had spent almost twenty-four-seven watching and listening to Jasper, calculating his next attacks, as well as then having to intervene. "This is getting more than I can handle. I've barely been able to spend time with Renesmee and Bella."

"We will have plenty of time together, Edward. But Carlisle's right, this needs to stop." Bella agreed, pressing her head to his shoulder. The smallest signs of affection between any of them caused Rosalie's heart to ache, and so her eyes fell to the neutral carpet of the living room.

"Jasper seems to be calming a little now though, doesn't he?" Esme said hopefully. She sat perched on the edge of the sofa nearest to Carlisle, who stood statuesque by the fire place. "I mean, he's doing more now, like hunting alone today. Surely that's taking his focus from Rose?"

"His thoughts are still in the same mindset, Esme. He's just trying harder to avoid us detecting his motives ... the things he things about Rosalie..." Edward began, and at the mention of her name, it was like they had all just remembered she was there.

She sat on the single designer loveseat, her hands in her lap, her back upright, and her head tilted slightly towards the ground. She wore a plain white, silk top that floated out at the sleeves and waist, tight black jeans, and knee high black boots. Her hair was platted at the sides, tied at the back of her head and hung in a single curl over her shoulder, though several strands roamed free about her face. It was Esme's best work to try and get Rosalie to talk again, she had hoped fashion would do the trick, and carefully picked items that she knew Rosalie had bought herself, and were not a gift from either Alice or Emmett.

"Rosalie? Is there anything you would like to add at this point?" Carlisle finally asked her, breaking the silence that had become heavy with concern.

She shook her head slowly, and continued to stare at the floor until she sensed their eyes leave her, all but Esme's concerned ones apparently. Staring unnerved her now more than anything else in the world. Because every pair of eyes that hovered on her for longer that she felt was normal, she could feel Jasper's shooting daggers though her. At first, she had dealt with the attempts on her life, knowing full well that she deserved nothing less. But now, after nearly three months of relentless hatred, it was beginning to take its toll on her too.

"Very well. I do not wish to send anyone away..." Carlisle began again before Esme interrupted him.

"We have lost too much already!" she said hurriedly as though trying to discard the idea of anyone else leaving the family she so desired to stay together.

"Then what are we supposed to do? There is Renesmee to consider, she already understands too much, and hearing about Alice has been really hard on her," Bella added, which received immediate agreement from everyone. Rosalie agreed silently, and to herself. "We can't protect her from this forever."

"Understandable," Carlisle replied calmly, his eyes darting up to Rosalie. He couldn't ask her to leave any more than he could Jasper. "There are few options available to us, and I am struggling to think of one that will suit everybody."

"Jasper has not grieved for Alice, maybe, and this will be hard for us to do," Edward considered patiently, "Maybe we have to force him into it."

"You can't be serious," Esme whispered disbelievingly, glancing to Carlisle for support.

"How?" Bella mused, brushing her hands across her face before shifting her eyes towards Esme. "I mean, it could work."

"Pictures, memories, her clothes, perfume, phrases she used?" Carlisle recited easily, as though he had thought about it many times already. "He's upset because he's focusing upon Rosalie, and not allowing himself time to miss, or say good bye to Alice."

Rosalie nodded, which again drew their attention, but she remained silent. After a moment, and while the others continued to talk amongst themselves about how to alleviate Jasper from the rut he had landed himself in, she glanced up to Edward.

'_There's only one answer, and you know it," _she thought calmly when his eyes subtly shifted to her. He frowned, shaking his head only slightly, not because he misunderstood, but because he knew exactly what she meant.

"If something doesn't change fast, this will end one way. With Rosalie dead. Or Jasper." Bella's curt choice of words broke her from her silent conversation with Edward.

'_Rosalie dead ... beginning to think that's not such a terrible idea'_, she thought.

"Yes it is," Edward whispered quick and fast to her. Of course he heard her thoughts. He heard everything. But did he mean that? He didn't want her dead. Had he forgiven her?

'_Edward,'_ she called for his attention again. _'Jasper's hurting because of events partially caused by me. It's only right that I am the one who should leave. I'll be fine. Maybe I can find Emmett.'_

She watched him closely for a moment as he seemed to consider her suggestion again. After a few seconds, he turned his attention to Carlisle. "Maybe forcing Jasper to face Alice's death is the option we should take. It will be harder on him, and on us, but hopefully it will be worth it."

Rosalie huffed, annoyed that he had dismissed her so quickly. So much for forgiving her.

"Yes," Carlisle agreed quietly. "Are we all in agreement?"

Rosalie watched them each in turn as they slowly nodded. No. That was not the right option, and she could tell by the lack of enthusiasm that they knew it too. She would leave. She would remove herself from the equation and by doing so, hope that Jasper would calm down and come to terms with Alice's death in his own time. Maybe then, eventually he could forgive, or at least learn to live with her again. It wouldn't be hard. She had been away from the family before. Yes, she had been with Emmett, so it had been different. But she would be free to search for him if she left. She decided in this moment, that she would not give up on him, even if he had on her.

"Right, we better get this sorted before Jasper returns to us," Carlisle said as he offered Esme a hand to get to her feet. "Bella, could you go through Alice's clothes and find anything she may have worn more than once? Maybe Jasper will have memories attached to them." Bella nodded. "Esme, Love, see if you can find any photos in the attic."Esme nodded, and headed out of the room, pausing only to smile comfortingly at Rosalie.

"Edward, you and I can sit and write a list of anything Alice has said that sticks in Jasper's mind," Carlisle continued, as he too headed out of the room. "Rosalie," he paused, turning to her, "Take a few moments for yourself. I know this isn't easy for you either."

And with that, he was gone, followed closely by Bella. Lifting her eyes from the floor, Rosalie noticed Edward hovering alone by the large window.

"I'll say nothing to them until after you've gone," he spoke softly, warmly. "Be safe, I'll be keeping a close eye on your thoughts, just to make sure Aro doesn't cause you a problem. What you do is up to you."

Rosalie stared at her adoptive brother. He had not thrown her idea aside after all. They had not always seen eye to eye, but maybe he did still care about her in his own way. A fleeting moment of hope passed through her, a sort of warmth she had not felt in a long, long time. Edward waited a moment, taking a long look at her, before heading out of the room.

'_Thank you,' _she thought quickly, just as he reached the hallway. _'I won't forget what you're doing for me.'_

"It's not just for you, Rosalie. I think it's best for us all," he answered truthfully.

It wasn't exactly the response she had hoped for, but she would take it. Listening carefully, she could hear her family were all distracted with their assigned tasks. It was now or never. Slowly, she got to her feet, picked her handbag up from the floor, and headed for the front door. There was a moment of familiarity to this, of the last time she had sneaked out secretly. But this was different. This time it was for a good reason.

She did not look back at her home. She headed directly to the garage, pulled the keys from her bag, and slipped into her car. In a flash, she placed the keys in the ignition, and sped away from them all.

* * *

_A/N: I am determined to fix this relationship – anyone else agree? I love reviews ... they make me happy ... love to hear from you! Thanks for reading yet another chapter! :)_


	23. Turning Tables

_A/N: A couple of naughty words towards the end of this chapter, just a heads up! My Beat isn't available so sorry if there are a lot of errors in this chapter. Oh, and apologies for the long wait for me to update, lost where I was going with it all! I hope to update again pretty soon, but I'm getting married in 28 days (eeeeeek!) so I may be a tad distracted! As ever, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy x_

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

Turning Tables

Emmett had been angry, no, furious. And there had been nothing left to say. What could he have said when all the thoughts in his head had been vile, poisonous, and destructive? How could he ignore everything that had happened over the past months? He had had a decision to make, and he couldn't make it surrounded by the family and their influences. By those he could see so detested his wife; he could see it there in their eyes. By those who felt sorry for her, and those who tried to pity and forgive her, despite their unwillingness to really do so. There were far too many raw emotions in that small house, and they had begun to pull him under. Naturally he wanted to defend Rosalie to anyone who dared to say anything slightly out of line about her, but inside he was battling with his own feelings of resentment. Most of all, he was desperate for that resentment not to evolve into pure hatred. No. It couldn't have been done there. And the simple answer was to remove himself from the equation. So he left. However, he hadn't ever intended to leave Rosalie for months on end, giving her or the family no word of his whereabouts or wellbeing. But it _had_ been months now and they knew nothing of him.

"Ridiculous," he muttered into his fists that pressed firmly against his lips. Ridiculous that he had spent weeks fighting to get Rosalie back, just too so easily leave her again. How quickly the tables can turn. How quickly everything can be destroyed. Just a few words thrown out in anger, the loss of a sister, and all that was held by a thread falls apart. But it was more than that, and he knew it.

As much as he wanted to stay away from the mess that was his family, his heart wouldn't allow it forever. Emmett didn't want to admit it to himself at first, but without her, functioning became a difficult task. Feeding became pointless. Everything did. He hadn't intended to go for long, but the moment he fled through the door, every step away became harder to retrace. Returning to them became a distant desire. For weeks and weeks he wondered aimlessly about the world, often sitting motionless for hours wondering what the hell went so wrong. How _he_ got it so wrong.

Eventually, he couldn't take hearing nothing of her. He had debated asking Tanya Denali for assistance; if she would pay the Cullen's a visit and report back to him, but that was quickly rejected. With the Volturi torn apart, 'dethroned' as such, Emmett had heard whisperings from passing nomads that there had begun a nervous unrest amongst their kind. And as it had been the Cullen's who had caused that, they would probably not be flavour of the month for anyone. Instead, he realised he had no choice other than to return, and so, made his way back to the mountains that hugged the small town of Forks. The place he had called home, and that now seemed the place of strangers. He knew his family well enough to avoid their detection, although Jasper's erratic behaviour had been harder to keep track of, especially when he hunted. But the hardest part had been spending the always sleepless nights listening to Rosalie's cries when she wandered alone along the borders of Forks at night; Emmett had savagely murdered numerous bears and lions in order to alleviate the guilt he held for doing this to her. Every part of him yearned to draw her close and wrap his arms around her again. After all, no matter what she had done, she was still his soulmate, his wife, and the one love he held dearest in this world. He couldn't help but smile as he tried to imagine just how much love of her it would take to be the end of him. He still didn't know if he had, or could, forgive Rosalie yet, or if they could move past all this and get on with life like before. Even once he had seen the house, and seen her sitting in the window alone, it was still too difficult to just return to them all. To her. And so he resided in the mountains and began feeding again to build up his strength for the coming event. And that event was today.

He had already decided that she would never know that him leaving her had not been completely unplanned. The night of the fight in Italy, while they had all stood like statues around a fire trying to absorb the news of Alice, was the first time it crossed his mind. The first time he finally had a plan to deal with his wife. In truth, and in reflection now, he knew it was a badly executed one, but at least he was finally doing something about her. Rosalie wanted a child. That was the route of the problem. He had always known that, what he had underestimated was how much she had been willing to risk to get what she wanted. That she managed to aid the destruction of their almost peaceful and unnoticed existence, their family, and their sister. Talking to her had failed. Trying to live without a child had failed. Ignoring her had failed. Loving Renesmee as a niece and substitute had failed. All had failed. But Emmet was determined this plan would work. He would teach her a lesson. Admittedly it was a harsh one, but sometimes that was the only way Rosalie would ever learn. If she could not see what she had, and be grateful for it, he had figured removing that from her would force her to appreciate the things she was lucky enough to already have. As her husband, Emmett hoped that there was never going to be anything she would want, or miss, more than him. It was risky to play himself against her need to be a parent, but at last, in Italy, it had been the time to take that risk. Someone had to before she got even more out of control, and Emmett had wanted it to be him rather than anyone else.

He now sat on the golden, grainy sands with his elbows resting on his raised knees, his head hanging heavy against his balled fists that pressed firmly to his lips. He'd spent the morning debating exactly what he was now fighting for, and what he had actually been fighting against over these months. He had almost forgotten the plan and its intention. Almost, but not completely. His bright golden eyes shone against the blackness about him as they stared thoughtfully out at the ocean. This place was kind of perfect for such a meeting. After all, it was their place. Neah Bay. Together with Rosalie, they had solved so many problems here, and gotten over so much. The answer was simple. He was fighting for Rosalie.

Lifting his left arm from his side, Emmett studied his watch for a moment; 12.36. Thirty seconds, and it would be time.

Twenty-nine. Twenty-eight.

He placed his palms down against the sand and waited until ... **_Thud, thud, thud, thud_**. He drew in a long breath as he felt the footsteps he was waiting for nearing him. In a flash, he was on his feet, cracking his knuckles and darting into the cover of the nearby trees.

Fifteen. Fourteen. Thirteen.

From the top of a fallen log, he picked up the limp carcass of a lioness, swung himself around, and launched her out into the middle of the beach.

Nine. Eight. Seven. Six.

He listened. And waited.

Two.

From the opposite side of the beach, he emerged as fast as lightening. His blond hair flying against the wind, his eyes focused upon a goal only he could see ... until he drew to an abrupt halt before the body. Emmett watched his eyes narrow, his nostrils flare, his lips form the words, "What the..."

One.

And it was time, he would not miss the small window of opportunity now presented to him. He stepped back out from the shadows of the trees and onto the plain sands of the beach, "We need a word. Or six."

Jasper's dull golden eyes shot to him instantly, holding Emmett in his sights, before folding his arms behind his back and nodding his head towards the carcass, "The lioness?"

"Had to get your attention somehow," Emmett grinned his 'pleased-with-himself' grin hesitantly as he studied his brother's reaction carefully. If Jasper was surprised to see him, he was concealing it well. Very well.

"That's six words, goodbye Emmett," Jasper said abruptly, but no sooner had the first word left his lips, was Emmett across the beach and standing opposite him, tall and defensive.

"Stop trying to kill my wife." No, it had not gone unnoticed. Not in the slightest. "...Please."

The '_please'_ Emmett decided was a necessary after thought, and as such, was slightly forced. Jasper was still his brother after all, so some manners would not go amiss. Well, Jasper always would be unless he continued with his one man mission of trying to eliminate Rosalie.

"She killed mine, "Jasper growled as he too took a defensive position. It was then that Emmett saw a breif flash of pain lingering in Jaspers eyes, and it startled him somewhat. He had been so consumed with wanting to stop Jasper getting to Rosalie, that he had forgotten the pain Jasper was still going through.

"No, she didn't," he disagreed calmly, deciding better of his attack strategy and dropping his defensive stance, his head shaking gently from side to side.

Jasper stared hard at him, meeting Emmett's serious, but less threatening gaze, "It _was_ her fault."

Emmett scoffed, "I can't disagree with you entirely," he shrugged, dropping his arms to his sides. "But Rose didn't actually kill Alice, Jazz, and you know it."

"It doesn't matter whether she was the one to tear her apart or not. Rosalie was the one that led us there. That led her there," Jaspers voice was cold and hard. His emotions were well controlled now, well hidden behind a mask of iron.

"Think about it. I have. Rose would never want Alice dead. None of us did," his eyes remained focused upon Jaspers, "But killing Rose won't make you feel better."

"Want a bet?" Jasper challenged.

"Jazz, common, she's my wife..." he began to argue, quickly realising that that particular argument would earn him no favours with his now wifeless brother.

"It's nothing to do with you Emmett." Emmett noticed a small quiver on Jasper's lip; a small sign of weakness. He had to bring himself into the equation now, maybe that was what Jasper needed to take his mind off the hunt of Rosalie. Pity for Emmett if he were to lose Rosalie.

"Yeah it damned well is," Emmett scoffed. "You're going to do to me what you've had done to you."

"It's different," Jasper hissed, his lips forming into a hard line.

"Exactly!" Emmett bent down to the carcass lying between them. "What's different is you're deliberately planning to murder my wife. Alice was an accident, and it wasn't Rose." He snatched it from the ground, tossed it high, and out towards the ocean.

They both watched the body collide with the water, and sink, before Jasper spoke again, "I need to do this."

Emmett's answer came easily, "And I need her."

Jasper laughed bitterly as he took a step back, "You could have fooled me Emmett. Where have you been for the past three months?"

"About." Harder to answer.

Jasper's now emotionless eyes darted about the clearing, taking in the trees, foliage, and not a lot else, "Rough, even for you."

Emmett guaffed, finding the untimely humour there, even if Jasper hadn't meant there to be any, "Guys gotta do and all ..." He tensed his arm muscles expectantly. "Let's talk."

"I'm not exactly on ... talking terms ... with anyone," Jasper resisted while removing a dark blond curl from his eyes with a blow. By the pulling together of his eyebrows, and the crease now between them, Emmett knew that Jasper was thinking two things. First, he would be sensing Emmett's mood in order to weigh up the true reasons for the visit, the second, was why the hell was here and not with Rosalie if he was back.

"I wasn't asking," Emmett said, remaining cool and collected despite his annoyance at Jasper's attempts on Rosalie's life playing in the forefront of his mind. He had one main objective today. Help Rosalie, and give Edward and the others a break from Rose-sitting. He had seen how tired they were all becoming, and how close Jasper was getting. Though, the fact that Jasper had verbally responded to him tonight, when Emmett knew he hadn't to the others in months, meant he might add to that objective, and try his damndest to help Jasper. _That_ would be more difficult.

"Very well," Jasper said noncommittally. Emmett frowned slightly at his tone. He needed Jasper's full attention now, not just part of it. There was an awkward silence, unusual between them, while Emmett tried to differentiate his own emotions from the strong ones jasper seemed to be transferring to him.

"You know, it's a damn sight harder to do this when all you're making me feel is hate for Rose," Emmett complained.

"I didn't realise I was," Jasper lied, and Emmett quickly decided to play dumb.

"Don't worry 'bout it," he grinned plainly. He hesitated, but after a moment, decided to go for the brotherly slap on the shoulder before continuing. They, it seemed, had fewer unresolved issues regarding Alice. Which, considering what Emmett himself had done, forced him to realise just how dangerously focused on Rosalie's destruction Jasper was. "Good to see you bro. Whatever the reason."

Jasper nodded mechanically after a silent moment, "You too, surprisingly."

"You know I'm sorry about Alice, right? Can't tell you how much... I don't even wanna imagine how it feels," he paused, checking Jasper's stern expression for any kind of emotion regarding Alice, that, and to get the emotional stuff out of the way quickly. But then, he couldn't blame Jasper for blocking out everything he should be feeling in order to heal himself. He knew he would do the same. But the thought of a world in which Rosalie didn't exist at all ... that was unthinkable. She was his centre. Even now, when he had left her, he couldn't stay away from her completely. "I can't imagine how it feels."

"Want me to show you?" Jasper asked, ninety percent serious, ten percent jokingly.

"You know," Emmett began, ignoring that snipe and deciding to skip straight to the point, "If you're set on killing Rose, you'll have to kill me too."

"Don't make this harder, Emmett," Jasper murmured with an _almost_ pleading tone tipping his words. "It's not that I hate her Emmett, she's my sister after all. But I can't survive without her..." he trailed off, grinding his teeth together as his eyes fell to his shoes.

"And bumping off Rose will make you feel like you got justice," Emmett finished for him. "Sure you need Alice, I get that. But this won't help ... and I'll make it as impossible as I can for you to get to her."

Jasper stared hard at the ground with a look that, if the ground had been living, would have killed it, "I've got nothing against you, Emmett."

"I contributed to what happened, no matter how much you wanna blame Rose, you can't without blaming me too." Fair point, Emmett decided. "I can't let you kill Rose."He repeated, hoping the point would hit home.

Jasper didn't answer, and Emmett figured that it was because he hadn't even considered him in his mission not-so-impossible. He must have thought Emmett had left. For good. And therefore would not be an obstacle to overcome.

After a moment of intense concentration on calming his own mood, Jasper grumbled, "I won't fight you."

"Won't, or can't?" Emmett challenged back. Usually, he would have found such a jibe amusing. But not when it was Rosalie's life at stake. "If you want her, you're going to have to go through me first. And, yeah, good luck with that."

"I might not have a physical advantage like you Emmett, but I have a mental one." Jasper stared up and directly into Emmett's eyes, making sure his meaning was clear, but seeing as they were being so openly honest today, apparently felt the need to say it regardless. "I can out smart you."

"Yeah maybe," Emmett agreed, unable to deny that Jasper had the expertise to do that. "But do you really want to fight a man trying to save his wife?"

Jasper pondered that for a moment, "... What do you mean?"

"I'll stop at nothing to save Rose, just as you would have for Alice. But you know that already." Emmett folded his arms across his chest cockily. Of course he knew. It was because he hadn't done everything he could have for Rosalie before that they had gotten into this mess in the first place. And now, that would change. He would do anything she wanted. Anything.

"Look at what she's done!" Jasper finally exploded in an angry growl. "She can't just expect things to go back to normal, to get away with it, not this time!"

"You've felt her moods. You tell me she's not suffering. Not wondering what the hell to do without me. Hating what she's done. You've got brains, figure it out..." and he waited patiently for Jasper to catch on.

"You mean ... no ... You left to punish her?" Jasper calmed at the thought, though his eyes were wide in surprise, and irritatingly to Emmett, pleasure.

"Exactly," Emmett said with no triumph in his tone. It was the worst kind of lesson he could teach her; and it was a dangerous one for them both.

"I didn't see that one coming," Jasper said in astonishment, and Emmett could hear the slightly impressed tone.

But again, it gave him no pride this time, "It's not exactly one of my best moves."

"Maybe not. But it's working. Her emotions are ..."Jasper shook his head in thought. "Everywhere. She doesn't know what to feel. Not that I have helped with that..."

"I think I'm playing with her emotions enough, without your help." He held Jasper's gaze. For a moment, though he fought against it, a flash crossed his mind. A world without Rosalie. It didn't bare thinking about. "I can't be without Rose. You know that."

"And I can be without ..." Jasper trailed off. And Emmett realised in the whole time he had been watching them all, and talking to Jasper tonight, Jasper had never spoken her name. Not once. "We're going in circles with this. I want her gone, you don't. It's a win lose, lose win situation."

"Please, bro, common..." Emmett dropped his large frame to the floor, deciding indefinitely, that this was the spot they would talk this out, no matter how many times they would go in circles with the conversation. He rested his arms across his bent up knees, and let his head swing down. "You've still got a family. It's not all gone..."

"Would you say that if it was Rosalie?" Jasper spat, fury fighting its way through.

"Probably not. I'd pummel you to the earth's core..." Emmett grinned.

"And then what?" Jasper waited, knowing the answer.

Emmett paused, realising too late he'd walked right in to Jasper's trap, "...and I'd kill whoever hurt her."

Jasper simply nodded.

"Fantastic," Emmett sighed. Jasper was right, and Emmett knew it. He would react in just the same way. And this conversation was going nowhere good fast. "Look, you know I love her. You know I care about all of you," he paused to swipe his hand across the sand, "Just, kill me before you kill her. It'd be easier to take that way."

Jasper glared at Emmett's broad shoulders, his eyes narrowing suspiciously, unsure how to take that, "Guilt tripping is the sign of a desperate man."

"Yeah? Well I'm desperate," Emmett admitted shamelessly.

There was a beat of deathly silence.

"I miss her."

Another beat of silence.

"I miss her too," Emmett agreed in a gentler tone.

Jasper hesitantly placed his smaller frame beside Emmett on the sand as they both looked out of the sea.

"This is like some sort of cheesy movie," Emmett contemplated. "At least if you're here making a movie scene with me, you're not off Rose-murdering."

They sat there in silence, both thinking of Alice, before a deep, guttural laugh resonated in Emmett's chest.

"What?" Jasper asked, relaxing slightly.

"You'd never kill us. I'd kick your ass."

Jasper shook his head, almost chuckling, until Emmett saw the guilt for it in his eyes, "Maybe."

"Defiantly ... You know I hate this girly talk, but, Alice loved you. She wouldn't want you to be doing this. That's something I've figured out while I've been away. Alice knew what was going to happen, she saw it. And for some stupid reason she accepted it..." Emmett began, clearly awkward.

Jasper swallowed hard, "Emmett..."

"Nah, common, I have to say it now or I won't. I dunno, maybe she saw a better future for us all. I might not know a lot, and I always knew less than Alice, but she wouldn't give her life unless there was a damned good reason for it."

Jasper contemplated that for a moment, "I've never thought of it that way."

"'Cause not, she was your wife. You saw red, and I get that," Emmett took a deep breath and straightened himself up, "You know Rose is feeling bad enough. In fact I'd go as far as saying she feels like shit."

"She does. I don't regret tormenting her though, she deserves it." Jasper stared up at the sky thoughtfully for a moment. "Alice would never forgive me if I ruined things further, would she?"

Emmett shook his head, "Hell no."

"How do I get through this?" Jasper placed his head in his hands, his golden curls falling about his hands and face.

"First step? Going home and seeing Carlisle. He always knows how to fix this stuff," Emmett decided.

"Home?" Jasper contemplated, "Sounds good, real good, right now. You've got a lot of explaining to do..."

"I know. Rose will probably hit the roof..."

"I wouldn't worry about her as much as Esme and Nessie." Jasper pulled himself to his feet and held his hand out to Emmett.

"Yikes..." Emmett took his hand and hauled himself to his feet. "I can handle it."

"Of course you can..."

Emmett held onto Jasper's hand firmly, pulling him dangerously close, "Enough trying to kill Rosalie, Jasper, I'm watching you now."

Jasper pulled his head back, clearly a little startled by the sudden seriousness of the conversation again, and nodded in agreement, "I'll try my best."

As they made their way back to the house, Emmett wondered if this was the first step to recovery. Maybe they could fix this sorry mess after all. Jasper would need more time, and it would take him forever to forgive Rosalie, but maybe, just maybe it was possible.

Rosalie.

He was going to see her again. Hold her. A stirring began in the depths of Emmett's stomach. Nerves? Excitement maybe? He shook his head as if to shake away those thoughts. What did it matter? Even if she went for his throat, he would have her again and they could try to work it out.

"ROSALIE?" Esme's voice shrieked through the trees and to their sensitive ears as they neared the house.

"Now what's she done?" Jasper grumbled, only to receive an elbow in the ribs from Emmett.

"She's gone. She needed some time," Edward spoke calmly in response.

Emmett froze. Jasper too, and Emmett could feel his eyes watching him carefully.

"Where? For how long?" Carlisle asked concernedly.

"Awhile, from what I heard in her thoughts. I know you don't want to hear it, either of you, but she thought about not returning to us at all," Edward continued.

"Why can this family not stay in one place? TOGETHER!" The pain in Esme's voice was evident, followed swiftly by the slamming of a door.

One word came to Emmett's mind, "Fuck."

"You also might not believe this, but Emmett's outside with Jasper," Edward said in surprise.

There was a further moment of silence, followed by the sound of Esme's returning feet and motherly, warm welcome, "Emmett!"


	24. Hope and memory

_A/N – Wow, been far too long since I last updated – sorry all! I hope there are still some readers out there? I promise to be better at updating again! Hope you enjoy…._

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

Hope and memory

There was only silence as Emmett let it sink in that Rosalie was, once again, gone. How many times was he going to have to hear those words? There was an instant feeling of unrest in the pit of his stomach as he listened to the footsteps of his family heading through the house and towards him. He had been thrilled at the idea of seeing them again, for it had been far too long without them. But now, knowing she wasn't with them, a heavy sensation pushed down on him, forcing his shoulders into a hunch.

Before he knew it, Esme, Carlisle, and Edward were standing before him, flickers of mixed emotions moving rapidly across their expressions. He could see their delight, their hurt, and their worry more prominently than any other, and he was convinced that those were the same emotions they perceived on his face also.

"Emmett," Esme repeated herself in greeting as she stepped forwards, cautiously placing a hand on his arm welcomingly, but also to show her support.

"She's gone?" was all Emmett could say, his gaze fixated on Edward; his words from only moments before ringing in his ears. His fists clenched as he tried his hardest not to lunch himself at the nearest tree, and smash it to oblivion in frustration. Looking down at Esme's warm, motherly eyes, he took a deep breath, and a moment to gather his thoughts, before letting the wind rush from his lungs. "I wish she'd stop doing that."

"I'm sorry," Edward said in a soft, apologetic tone, his face etched with remorse. "We didn't know you were coming back, and I thought it best if Rosalie wasn't here for the time being."

"So, you figured it best she goes off alone?" Emmett shot back, flashing a look of mild annoyance at his brother. _Calm, Emmett, Calm, _he told himself. He could feel his anger bubbling to the surface, and so, clenched his fists harder in an attempt to contain it. Every muscle in his body strained. He had had just about enough of this. Of everything. He had so hoped, regardless how the first meeting may have turned out, that right now he would be holding his wife in his arms again one way or another. But plans never go the way he wants them too, do they? "She's not exactly _stable_ right now."

"She wasn't exactly helping Jasper by being here," Edward challenged in his defence, clearly a little taken back by Emmett's reaction to him. "It was becoming too much babysitting her. She was too much to handle looking after."

"I thought you'd help her, not let her run off," Emmett growled. "If it was Bella, would you let her go so easy?"

Edward lowered his eyes and spoke timidly, "Of course not."

"Hey!" Esme interrupted, glancing between the two of them. "Emmett's just got back. This can wait. It was Rosalie's choice, Emmett dear, not Edward's."

Carlisle nodded in a silent agreement before looking to Emmett, "It's good to see you back with us. There's a lot we all need to discuss, but let's take this inside."

Without another word, Emmett followed his family into the living room, and watched as they all adopted their usual positions and seats. He had lost count of the amount of times they had all sat here and discussed some drama or another, and his eyes wondered to the empty loveseat by the window. Rosalie's seat. His teeth pressed firmly together, his jaw locking in its place as he swallowed hard, a wave of guilt and irritation flooding through him. How had he ever thought that leaving her would help her see sense?

"_Without out our mates, it's like we cease to exist,"_ he recalled Carlisle once saying, and he lifted his eyes to Jasper sitting beside Esme on the couch, with no Alice. _"No one really knows how we carry on, or if we can survive the loss of a mate. Our love is stronger than that of a human emotion. Harder to ignore, impossible even. And damaging, should it ever be torn apart."_

He didn't see Esme rise from the couch and cross the room to him. Wrapping her arm around his waist she smiled up to him, drawing his attention to her, "She'll be fine. She's a survivor."

A small smile flashed across Emmett's stern expression as he laced one arm across Esme's shoulders, pulling her into a firm embrace, "Yeah… You know, I'm sorry I left. I figured it might help her somehow."

"You figured it would punish her," Esme corrected knowingly, holding his gaze with a telling look. "Promise me one thing?"

Deciding better than to acknowledge that Esme seemed to know how he'd decided to try and punish Rosalie, he simply nodded, "Sure?"

"Never leave like that again. Ever." Esme's eyes were wide, allowing him to see all the hurt within them, and it stung. He knew all she wanted was the family to heal, and be happy again. Glancing once more at the empty loveseat, and smelling Rosalie's still lingering, and enticing scent in the air, he wondered if that was even going to be possible…

"_You know how I feel about you," Emmett grinned at the beauty standing before him. She was everything he had never thought he would be able to get in this world. _

"_No," Rosalie replied seriously, though after barely a second, she bit down upon her bottom lip in an attempt to hold back a laugh. "Tell me."_

_He stepped closer, wrapping his strong arms around her dainty waist, before running one hand up the length of her arm, along her collar bone, until it finally made its way to, and rested upon, her cheek. There, he drew her in with a single, indescribable look that he knew meant the world to her, "I'm in love with you, Rose."_

_Rosalie held his gaze, and it was like the weight of the world lifted from her shoulders for that single moment. He had never told her before, but then, he had only been changed just over two weeks ago now. But still, it felt like a lifetime, a perfect lifetime. "Say it again. I just want to hear you say it again."_

"_Nope," Emmett chuckled, "There's something else I want to say."_

"_What else could you possibly say right now?" she asked him with a genuine distain, surely he wasn't going to ruin this perfect moment with a stupid joke?_

"_You could be anywhere right now, and with anyone that wasn't me. So you see, I'm thankful for you finding me, bringing me to Carlisle, and giving me a second chance. I'm grateful that you're mine. I'm thankful, and not in a really creepy way, that Carlisle found you. That you never married that Royce guy…"_

"_What's your point Emmett?" she interrupted him mid flow. _

_Damn. He had said the wrong thing, bringing up the past like that, and looking down into her eyes, they confirmed his suspicion. The bright sparkle he usually saw in her eyes when they were together, and that made them seem almost a shimmering, liquid gold, had dulled. How to save the moment? Simple… "Marry me."_

_And there it was; that liquid gold began to glow once more as her eyes shot up to look into his. Her jaw dropped. Her eyes widened. It felt as if her heart had been brought back to life. Her blood seemed to warm. Her horrid past wiped. "Marry you?" _

"_I hear it's the done thing these day's if you wanna get some acti…" before he could even finish his sentence, she playfully swiped her hand across his chest, "So, what do you say?" _

"_Yes!" she screamed deafeningly, leaping from the ground, wrapping her arms around his neck and knocking them both to the floor. It was what she wanted most in the world right now; to be his. "Oh God yes!"_

"You've got it," he replied honestly to Esme, bringing himself out of the warmth of the memory.

"Alright, we should wait for Bella, but there is something I want to say," Carlisle began, and Esme remained at Emmett's side, offering him the support only a mother could. "Our family has come to ruin. And I'm sorry that I have allowed it to happen."

"Ditto," Emmett agreed. "Some defender I am, huh."

"Blame and guilt will get us nowhere," Esme added gently, placing her dainty hand over her still heart, and Emmett could see she was trying to keep it from aching. He knew the feeling all too well.

"True," Bella added as she glided into the room with perfect timing. Emmett watched patiently as she took her place beside Edward, and couldn't help but grin as he noticed the purple paint smeared across her cheek and fingertips; clearly a result of something Renesmee-related. "You did your best, Carlisle. And Emmett, you haven't handled Rose the best way, but, have any of us lately? Oh, and Renesmee's fine. Jake's got her so we can all talk without worrying she will hear what's going on."

"When did you start making such sense?" Emmett chuckled half-heartedly. And judging by her last comments, Emmett decided she had noticed him finding her paint covered appearance amusing, and that he would want to know how Renesmee was. "Cheers Bella, but I should have known by now what Rose is capable of."

"We all know how Rosalie can be, but none of us would ever have imagined things would go this far," Carlisle said, trying to sound comforting.

"Or get this out of hand," Edward mumbled grimly, and Bella placed her arms around his neck as she leant down from the arm of the couch where she had perched.

"While we're at it, I'm sorry I split when I should have taken control of things," Emmett said remorsefully. "I shouldn't have left you all to deal with it. We're a family."

"What's left of it," Jasper muttered from beside the fireplace, and Emmett threw him an apologetic look. "But …. hard as this is for me to say… She wasn't _directly_ to blame for Alice. And I haven't made this any easier for any of you in the process."

"Oh, Jasper," Esme seemed to coo in relief to hear him speak again, "This has, in many ways, been hardest on you, but we are all here for you." She glanced at them each in turn, Emmett last, "And we always will be."

"It's alright," Carlisle accepted their apologies, taking the meeting back into his hands. "Now we have faced it, and individually accepted where we have acted out of turn, whether it was understandable or not, we have to move on. This family is not going to survive if we continue to self-destruct. I am honestly ashamed of how each of us have acted, or not acted when we should have. And from right here, right now, that changes."

"Amen," Emmett said with a renewed sense of hope as he began applauding.

Edward scoffed lightly at Emmett in amusement, but quickly returned to serious as he looked to Carlisle, "What do we do about Rosalie?"

Before Carlisle was even able to answer, Emmett spoke again, "Leave that one with me."

"I think this is something we should do together, Emmett, as a family. Show Rosalie we are here for her," Esme quickly interjected.

Bella dropped her arms from around Edward's neck and sat upright, "It didn't work out so well leaving her to you the first time, and you know I don't mean that nastily."

"She's my wife," Emmett protested, a little deflated that it seemed they no longer trusted him to deal with her. "For better. For worse."

"It's not that we don't trust you," Edward said in response to Emmett's thoughts. "It's just that she's not a _little_ out of control, she's way beyond that. We haven't just got what has happened over the last year to deal with, it goes deeper."

"Yeah, I get that, "Emmett tried again, with confidence in his voice this time. "I know what I have to do."

"What?" Jasper spoke up again. "If you're talking deeper, you're talking about her human life; her need to be a mother, to grow old, and die. We all know that, and there's nothing we can do about it."

"You're …. You're not," Esme began shakily as she glanced up at Emmett with sudden concern. "You're not suggesting that she dies, surely?"

"Hell no!" Emmett said in aghast. Carlisle's speech had given him an idea. Control. That was what was missing. Rosalie was out of it. And, as her husband, surely it was his job to help her get some back. And if she couldn't, then he would lend her his. "Just, trust me this time. I'll find her. And I know what needs to be done when I do."

Carlisle ran his fingers through his honey-blond hair, "We don't want the problem to escalate, Emmett."

"I promise you it won't." He removed his arm from Esme's shoulder, taking a step forwards.

"Then what are you suggesting to do?" Carlisle quizzed. "I think its best we all know what you're planning, and that we are nearby in case Rosalie rejects or reacts against you."

"I doubt she will reject him, love," Esme objected.

Carlisle replied calmly, "Quite right, but we don't know how volatile she might be."

"After all, she is crazy," Jasper laughed. Albeit a little bitterly.

"Jasper," Carlisle began to discourage him gently.

"Don't worry, Carlisle," Emmett grinned at his brother, "He's not far off the truth."

Bella sighed, "Come on, I want to know what's going on. And I would rather not be away from Renesmee again. It's unsettling for her enough without any added worry."

"Stay here, Bella. The rest of us can go," Edward told her decisively, to which she nodded happily in agreement.

"I find Rose. That's part one… but alone. This is something that I don't think she will thank me for right away," Emmett paused, assessing their reactions to that…. "You're still coming."

"Definitely," Esme said with a decisive smile.

"Yep," Edward agreed.

Carlisle nodded, "Of course."

Emmett's eyes shifted towards jasper, "Staying?"

"I think that's for the best, I can't just forgive her in one hour," Jasper looked up apologetically, "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Emmett latched his fingers together, pushing them forwards until they cracked. "Right, to move forwards, you gotta get past the past, right?"

"Right," Carlisle agreed with curiosity lacing his tone.

"Ed," Emmett carried on, clearly not willing to share everything just yet. "You were the last with her. Where was she thinking of going?"

Edward's face scrunched up instantly, "I don't know. I didn't think it strange until after she had gone, but, all I heard was what she directly wanted me to. Nothing else."

Emmett's expression melted into that of a frown, "Let me guess, when she wasn't thinking to you, she was singing."

"Exactly." Edward glanced up, curiosity at Emmett's correct guess intriguing him. "Every damned Christmas song ever written."

"Great…" Emmett stretched out his arms as he began pacing the width of the living room, all eyes upon him.

"Ok, what? Someone clue the rest of us in!" Bella exploded after several seconds of deathly silence.

"She was hiding something from me," Edward informed her gently as he realised, looking to Emmett for confirmation.

He nodded in agreement, agitation making it difficult for him to remain still, "A little trick she told me decades ago. If she doesn't want Edward hearing something, she would sing to annoy him, knowing he would tune her out."

"Smart," Bella smiled, raising on eyebrow, clearly a little impressed. "So she was just hiding where she was going?"

Carlisle folded his arms in front of him, "Maybe. But this is Rosalie, there is usually something more if she does that."

"Something usually bad," Emmett huffed, and Bella found herself defending Rosalie,

"You don't know that, it's just a guess, right?"

Emmett stopped pacing, dropping his arms to his sides as he turned to look at Bella, "The last time she sang Merry freaking Christmas was the day she vanished after we talked about killing you when you met Edward."

Bella went silent, unsure how take that. "Oh."

"It wasn't quite like that Bella," Esme said, rapidly trying to save the moment, throwing Emmett a scolding look.

"Sorry," Emmett added after Edward let out a low growl in his direction.

"Need I say again that we have had enough destruction in this family?" Carlisle said, an unusual annoyance tipping his words, "It will no longer be tolerated. Am I clear?" Emmett nodded, as did the rest of the family. "Good. Then Bella understands that it wasn't an easy time with her at first, however, the problem presently is Rosalie. The longer we spend here, the further away she is getting from us."

"And the harder to find," Bella whispered.

"Emmett?" Edward took to his feet. "What's the plan?"

"We follow her scent as far as we can, and then …" he paused thoughtfully for a moment.

"Play it by ear," Carlisle finished for him. "We have had to locate harder people to find than Rosalie before this." He shifted himself towards Emmett, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We will get there, eventually."

Esme flitted out of the room, returning within the second with her hunting boots, "Emmett? You mentioned the past… I won't probe … But, what if that doesn't work."

The room fell uneasily silent. There was no guarantee that Rosalie would want to see him again, not after leaving her alone when he promised never to, and no matter the pain it caused for them to be apart. But, he couldn't afford to think like that just yet. He had to try. He had to show her he much he loves her.

He replied in a low, muted voice, "I don't know."

Within five minutes, Emmett had left the house, picking up Rosalie's rapidly fading trail. Three sets of footsteps behind him did offer him some comfort, and it meant they could cover more ground, but he knew he would ask them to wait when, if, they found her. He had to do it alone. He couldn't risk her getting spooked and running off again. This was, he knew, his last chance with her. His last chance to bring her home and try to make it right. If it failed then it was over. He knew he would lose her.


	25. Trail of a broken heart

**INHUMAN RAMPAGE**

Trail of a broken heart

"_No I can't take one more step towards you. Cause all that's waiting is regret…. And who do you think you are? Running 'round leaving scars, collecting your jar of hearts, and tearing love apart."_

_-Christina Perry_

Over the past three days of pointless, non-directional driving, Rosalie had succeeded in leaving a trail of broken hearts behind her. The newly-wedded couple at the diner yesterday had been no exception, as she subjected them to a lecture about the strains of marriage, life and death, and the exclusion of all possibility for good. When Rosalie had arrived at the diner, searching for any kind of distraction, the couple had been cuddling, kissing, embracing, laughing, and joking. Not only did it irritate Rosalie, and force her to miss Emmett terribly, but it also made her feel somewhat repulsed. And so, by the time she had finished with them, and departed, the _entire_ diner was silent and depressed. But, it didn't make her feel any better, if anything, only worse. It had also failed to help her tend to her own broken heart, as had been her initial intention. This heartbreak she was stuck with, but she was also under no false illusions that this was anyone's fault but her own.

It was about four-thirty in the afternoon when the clouds finally began to cover the blue sky, hiding the sunlight behind their fluffy exterior. Rosalie had already succeeded in lowering the mood of the place, and so, taking hold of her coat that lay across the counter, she strolled slowly to the door, swung it open, and stepped out into a dark, miserable day that suited her mood just perfectly. As the bell that hung above the door chimed out when it came too, a sudden flash of a memory crossed her mind;

"_What is the point? We have seen so many times how life repeats itself pointlessly over and over again while we are stuck wondering, frozen in time and dreaming of the past. But what for, Emmett? We live in vain of everything I ever wanted. Time makes it easier ... sometimes, but it never heals me."_

The last of the breath in her lungs rushed passed her lips, and her eyelids fluttered as if they were trying to bat away the memory. The umbrella she had picked up on her exit fell from her hands and to the floor as tiny rain drops began to fall. She had said that to Emmett over a year ago, when she had first seriously thought about a way to become a mother, and him a father. And for over a year she had dragged him down this repetitive, self-consumed, never ending road. And over the mounds, the molehills, the mountains, the streams, the rivers, and the seas, he had followed her. He had always been at her side. But what she had said to him then was right; time was never going to be a healer, not completely. In fact she had come to the conclusion that time is more often a destructive force, especially when you have an eternity of it. She is not a fool, she has seen the world through decades, and how it would pointlessly tick over and over again, she had been right there too. Was she to spend forever walking hand in hand with Emmett, only wishing for life to improve all by itself? No. She had tried that, and it had been in vain. Though, through all of this, something in her had changed, if only slightly. If only you could see through her eyes at this moment, you would not perceive a self-obsessed, shallow individual, but a hurt and frightened girl, similar to the naive one that once trusted Royce King. Lost in memories of all she had left behind her, and with the ache of her heart constant, she forced herself to refuse to be drowned in the pain any longer. It was about time this stopped.

It was the light tinkling of bells that brought her steadily back to reality. Glancing down at her hands, she realised the sound was not bells, but little rain droplets colliding against her hard, granite skin. She gently shook her head, her wet hair sticking to her exposed skin, as she realised no matter how much she threw herself into the human world, she would never escape what she was, or what she had done.

"Hey," a male voice called from behind her and over the growing noise of the rain. "I think you need this more than me."

Rosalie's eyes wandered slowly to the man that appeared at her side. He was the short, geeky, spotty guy who had been sat by the duke box listening to every word she had said to the poor, unsuspecting waitress. Before her, he held out a book that was already beginning to soak through with the rain.

"Take it," he said, scrunching his face into an odd expression as his glasses began to side down his nose. When she failed to respond to him, he thrust it into her hands and disappeared back into the warmth of the diner, the bell sounding out once again as the door shut behind him.

Having had enough of this place, Rosalie made her way across the gravelled square to her car, the book still held firmly in her in hand; though she had no idea why. She slid into the driver's side, pulled the door shut as she did so, and threw the book onto the passenger seat. Running her hands through her soaking wet hair, she lent forwards, placing the key in to the ignition, and turning it a single notch. The fans instantly begun to blow out cold air, and so she flicked on the heating button, positioned the fans to face her, pulled her golden strands over her shoulders, and waited patiently for her hair to dry. When the fans had come on, so had the radio which continued to cruelly sing out love song after love song. At least, it did until she reached down, tore it from the car, crushed it in her palm, cracked the window, and threw it out to the mercy of the rain. She wasn't really in the mood for listening to it right now. After what seemed to be forever of staring out of the windscreen at nothing, she finally gave into her niggling curiosity, and glanced over at the book beside her. It took all her strength not to leap from the car, find the idiot who had given it to her, and thrust him into next week once she perceived the title; 'Self-help; how to stop being a misery.'

She glared coldly at the book as though it had offended her, and grinded her teeth in mild annoyance. Self-help! What had the human been thinking of? She scoffed as took the book from its unwelcomed place beside her, cracked the window once again, and was about to throw it out along radio, when she caught sight of her own reflection in the rear-view mirror. Gasping allowed, she took in the mascara smudges under her eyes, the lipstick stains around the edges of lips, and her knotted hair that stuck in all angles to her cheeks. Was that really her? She certainly didn't look as ravishing as usual, and quickly began wiping away the clown make-up with the sleeve of her coat. Pulling the mirror towards her, she looked once more, thankfully this time seeing herself as the natural beauty she was. A sigh of relief rushed through her as she sat back in her seat, her eyes drifting once again to the offensive book. Below the title read, '_Who are you really?'_ Rosalie raised one eyebrow as she found herself unable to answer that question for the first time in almost ninety years. But then, who had she been that it was fine for her to ruin eight other lives, creating scars so deeply embedded that they may never heal again, all because she failed to control her envy of Isabella and Edward Cullen? Was her soul so caught up in the fires of hell that she had abandoned all sense of humanity in her existence? However perfect she had envisioned her human life to have been, and Emmett to be, she knew now that they were flawed too, just like her. But as flawed as she may be, she had never been malicious before this year. But maybe that is who she is now; Malicious, evil, cold, unlovable.

Her arm flew up, pushing the mirror out of her sight, before letting it fall back down and landing upon the book. Convincing herself it was only out of curiosity, she brought the book up to the steering wheel and rested it there for a moment. Countless thoughts flew around her already overcrowded mind; Emmett had always been there for her. He had always been right for her. But what if he had been _too_ right for her? By giving her everything she could ever want, it only encouraged her already self-centred personality. And then, when there was one thing she wanted more than any other, and he couldn't give it to her, she threw the most almighty tantrum, destroying everyone in her path, determined to get it anyway. And just maybe Carlisle was wrong about his ideas of vampiric and human emotions. Yes, vampires had stronger emotions than those of humans, but had he considered that they may even be too strong for a vampire to handle as well?

"Fine," she blurted out in exasperation, and flicked open the cover to the first page of nonsense that read:

'_Welcome, and good luck. I hope that this book brings you the peace that is needed in your life. If you are reading this, then clearly something has gone drastically wrong for you_.'

Rosalie almost laughed at that, her bitter scepticism of such books overwhelming her curiosity, and she almost placed it back down, when she caught sight of the next line.

'_Firstly, it is important to let go of the past, for it will do nothing but hold you back. And if you are wanting to help yourself, then you need to move forwards without the past chained to your ankles.'_

Before she knew it, an hour had passed, and she had meticulously read through the entirety of the book. At first, she had decided it to be a pile of ridiculous nonsense, but less than five pages in, she was glued. By the last line, venom flooded her tear ducts where ordinarily, there should have been tears. As she closed the back cover, a new, odd, and almost overwhelming sensation began to consume her. She couldn't describe it, and she couldn't ignore it either. However, pushing it aside for a moment, she contemplated doing as the book had suggested, though she was still partly convinced that it was ridiculous. However, she knew that that was only because she could not believe her life had come to the point of reading self-help books, and them affecting her in the slightest. But she had to move on; she was at breaking point, and had had enough of the wallowing. Maybe the book would help…

Placing her arms on the steering wheel, she took a deep breath as the book had said to, and closed her eyes, taking a brief moment to compose herself. Firstly, she was to think off everything that had gone wrong… and that was quite a list. As she listened to the rain hammering against the bodywork of her car, she began to make her list.

She stole a child.

Threw a human from a cliff.

Tormented the child's mother.

Betrayed and lied to Emmett.

Led him into almost death, and now he was gone.

She aided the destruction of the Volturi.

Led her family into almost as much danger.

Killed a human boy.

Alice died, and Jasper hated her.

Crap… Her eyelids flew open. She had done all that? And now, while it was once again fresh in her mind, she felt absolutely wretched. Suddenly it was no wonder everyone detested her so much, whether they would admit it outright or not.

"Where are you Rosalie? I'm the devil!" she gasped in despair, her hands falling from their resting place on the steering wheel to her face, where they held her together for a moment. The pain was too much, the hate too consuming, the anger and disappointment in herself flaring to unspeakable levels. More venom swelled in her tear ducts, but never spilt. Hastily, she grabbed the book from her side and opened to the second chapter_; 'What to do once you have these negative thoughts clearly placed in your mind.'_

After a few seconds of silence, she threw the book into the back of the car and once again got herself together. She felt less ridiculous this time when following the books guide, because she was so desperate to stop feeling so awful. The memories floated about her thoughts, her mind, and her heart. One by one she visualised herself taking hold of each of the memories. Once she had a grasp on them, they began to evolve into small orbs of light in her palms. When the light grew too bright for her to bear, she thrust her arms skyward, releasing them to the universe. As they floated away, she was left with …. space. The angst, anger, and hate seemed to almost instantly dissolve. Naturally they would always be in the back of her mind, but this way, she would have room for other emotions, other thoughts. And that feeling she couldn't describe or ignore once she began reading the book? It was only in this moment, when she let her eyes open once again, that she realised it was _freedom_.

After a moment of peace, she lifted her hands to her hair and began combing through the knots that instantly fell out, leaving her hair, once again, perfect. It was like a breath of fresh air had blown lightly over her cold, granite skin, blowing out the flames of disaster. She knew she would never be truly happy, the stinging in her heart for Emmett would always prevent that, but she could at least try and move on without being known as the 'one who killed Alice', or 'the baby thief'. Wherever she were to end up now, which to be honest she didn't really care about, she would never be judged by the mistakes she had made in her past. It was time to begin again, a fresh start. Pity, sorrow, hate, blame; she couldn't stand to think of them any longer. They are destructive, demeaning, and Rosalie knew that somewhere, deep, deep down, that there was still some good in her. She just had to find it.

Suddenly, there was a heavy rapping against her window, and Rosalie almost hit the soft roof of the car. Being surprised by humans was another new emotion for her to experience, and one she would perhaps not have had the room for before now. Turning quickly to look at the source of the sound, she saw a small, brunette-haired girl wrapped in a dark green trench coat that was far too big for her. The girl was young, and Rosalie quickly took an educated guess that she was most likely no older than fourteen or fifteen. She stood holding a hood over her head as she bent down to Rosalie's level, blinking fast as the raindrops still found their way to her eyelids, her emerald-green eyes peering hopefully at Rosalie.

"Hi?" she called in a question, thinking that Rosalie would not be able to hear her through the now storm-like conditions, and tapped once more on the window, despite clearly being aware from the eye contact, that she did in fact have Rosalie's attention. "Could you give me a lift?"

Rosalie hesitated for a moment, her eyes fixed firmly, judgementally, on the girl. This was her new start, a start without any responsibility for anyone other than herself, and she didn't really feel like ruining that immediately. Was that ironic? A new start, with old attitudes? Without opening the window, Rosalie shook her head gently and turned to look at the steering wheel, "I'm busy."

"What? Please!" the girl called again, refusing to move. "Everyone's busy when I ask them for a ride, but, it's pretty bad out here if you hadn't noticed!"

She had noticed. "Ask your parents."

The girl frowned. "I would but I don't know where they are. I'm _just_ asking for a ride!"

"And I'm _just_ busy," Rosalie hissed back, irritation building in her.

"I only need to get to New York, it's not far…"

The girl continued to plead her case, but at the mention of New York, Rosalie had drifted off into thought. It had been a long, long time since she had stepped foot anywhere near New York. It was a huge place, easy to lose one's self… "How far is it?"

The girl's eyes lit up briefly, "About…" she paused, her eyes narrowing as she took in Rosalie's curious expression. "I'll tell you if you let me get out of the silly rain."

"Where are we now?" Rosalie asked again, suddenly seeming to become aware of her surroundings.

The girl frowned in annoyance as she wiped rain from her eyes, '"I'm not a talking map, forget it. Shouldn't a rich lady like you have a sat-nav?"

"I don't usually need one," Rosalie replied, a little unsure if the girl was insulting her or not. Rosalie turned the car key, sparking the ignition to life. "Sorry, I have things…"

"Please! Come on, please? Give me a lift, and I'll tell you where you are. How's that for a deal?" The girl placed her hands on the window as she spoke out of clear desperation, and wishing to prevent Rosalie from driving off. "Look, I'm cold, tired, hungry, and I just wanna get to New York. Fine, if you're not gonna help me, I'll find someone else who will. Just seemed like you could use the company judging by what you were going on about in there."

Rosalie sighed as she glanced into the rear-view mirror and through the raindrops to the diner. Dirty, old, untrustworthy men sat stuffing their faces with fatty, fried breakfasts. Would they really be any better to give the girl a lift than her? Probably, seeing as whatever Rosalie had touched lately seemed to fall apart. But, that was then, and this is now. Those men inside could be anyone, and could do anything to her. As she stared at each of the men individually, the girl caught her sight as she ran back towards the diner doors. Rosalie let out a low growl as she let the window drop down and called out, "Alright! I'll give you a lift."

Shutting the window again, she watched as the young girl paused, hesitated, and then came running back, a delighted smile on her soaking wet face. She slid into the car, getting everything wet, much to Rosalie's annoyance. "Thanks, I knew you were alright really."

Rosalie didn't respond, and simply continued to take in the appearance if this young girl now strapping herself safely into the car. "You don't know where your parents are?"

"Nope," the girl answered casually as she brushed her dripping hair from her face. "Well, Dad died when I was three, so I don't know, heaven or hell I guess. And Mom, that's a whole other story."

"Oh," Rosalie said stiffly after a moment of silence, trying hard not to want to help this apparently parentless girl. She had learnt her lesson … but, the yearning for a child was still so prevalent within her that it was hard to not begin instantly imagining taking her under her wing.

"Anna," the girl introduced herself with a smile.

"Rosalie," she said after a moment of Anna staring at her expectantly.

"Nice to meet you Rosie," Anna held out her and to shake.

Rosalie smiled fleetingly to cover her irritation. Rose, she didn't mind. Rosie, she minded a lot. "It's just Rosalie."

"Sorry," Anna apologised before pointing towards the road. "If you turn right out of the car lot we'll get to the 80 at the next junction, then we take the 280 and head into New York."

Swinging the car around, Rosalie began following her instructions, as déjà vu crossed her mind – was today the day she just began following everything she was told too, whether it be by a book or a person? "You know your way around," she finally said observantly.

"Only the route I need to get back." Anna slumped herself into the seat as she stared out of the window, and Rosalie noticed the hint of sadness now dulling the emerald shine in her eyes.

"You live in New York then?" Rosalie asked, searching for any kind of conversation.

Anna nodded.

"I see," Rosalie sighed, turning her focus back onto the road.

"I don't really want to talk about it. I was visiting someone I shouldn't have. If I don't get back Darran will kill me."

"Okay," Rosalie tried to sound uninterested, and was trying her hardest not to instantly become a mother figure as she so often did with younger humans. "Darran is -"

Anna interrupted her quickly, "He's not my boyfriend. He's my boss." She glanced at Rosalie, judging whether or not to let her into the apparent secret. "Don't judge me, alright?"

"I wasn't," Rosalie assured her calmly while running a slender finger under her eyes in a tiresome manner.

"I dance for money." Anna waited, and Rosalie could feel her eyes watching her for a reaction. "Around a pole."

Rosalie spent a moment working to keep her expression placid, and not show her sudden surprise. How had this young girl come to dancing for money? This dark world of the humans was not one she had much, or any, real knowledge of. But she knew one thing; it wouldn't be an easy life for a teenager with no one looking after her. Realising that she hadn't said anything for a minute or two, Rosalie decided a nod was the best course of action.

"Great," Anna huffed, folding her arms across her chest," There's the judgement!"

"Honestly, I'm not one to judge," Rosalie finally said. "We all do things we're not, exactly, proud of…"

"I make money, enough to survive, so it's all good." Anna took a deep breath and changed the subject quickly. "So, what are you doing alone on the road? You're real pretty. You must have a boyfriend or husband missing you somewhere?"

A flicker of pain crossed Rosalie's expression, "Not quite."

"That bad, huh?"

Rosalie allowed a small, forced smile into her expression. She wasn't going to share anything of her life with this stranger. Not that the girl would believe her if she did. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen, just. It was my birthday last week," Anna said in a light, chirpy tone.

"Congratulations," Rosalie attempted to say with as much chirpiness, but failed miserably.

Rosalie drove, making the occasional comment when appropriate, for almost an hour before she saw the welcoming sign to New York. She learned the girl's mother had an addiction to drugs, and after getting into some serious trouble with a dealer, packed her bags while Anna had been as school, and disappeared without a trace. As Rosalie pulled into a small side street apparently near the girl's flat, Anna turned to look at her.

_"About my job… Don't judge me, please. I don't do it because I'm a skank or anything like that. I just, I dunno, I guess I like the attention more than anything else. It's safe most of the time. I make money to keep going." Her hand searched for the car door handle. "Take a left at the next junction, and you'll get back onto the 280 which heads straight out of New York."_

_"Study geography?" Rosalie asked, astounded at the girl's consistent knowledge of routes._

_"Nope, just the route I need." Anna smiled, "Thanks for the lift, I mean it. I didn't like the look of any of the guys in the diner."_

_Rosalie's eyes drifted to a nightclub only meters away from them. "Neither did I."_

_Anna stepped out of the car, her large trench coat wrapped around her arms, "I hope things pick up for you, I'm sure they will."_

_"Oi!" A deep, gruff voice suddenly came echoing down the road towards them. "Where you been you little bitch? You think I have endless patience or something? Get in, now!"_

_Rosalie glared with intrigue at the tall, stocky, grey-haired man who came stumbling out of the nightclub._

_"I'm sorry, Darran," Anna called, fear lacing her shaky words, and Rosalie's eyes flittered back to Anna curiously. She hadn't been telling the truth. This didn't seem like the happy place Anna had painted to her on the drive. And he certainly didn't seem like the fatherly type._

_She continued to watch the scene unfold before her, finding herself unable to simply leave as she wanted to. Darran stumbled clumsily towards Anna, swearing until the air turned blue, as Anna held her arms close to her body, keeping as much distance as she could between the two of them. It wasn't until Darran raised his arm, and Anna let out a little scream as she cowered away from him against the wall, that Rosalie finally moved. Leaping from the car, she stepped between the two of them, blocking Darran's blow. _

_"Hey," he slurred at her, his blurry, bloodshot eyes, running over her invasively. "Who you think you are?"_

_Rosalie could feel the anger boiling in her ice could veins as she stared with hostility back at the fool of a man. She had done so much wrong in her life, that it was about time she did something good, and this, she decided would be that moment. "Her cousin."_

Darran burst out laughing as he peered past Rosalie to Anna, "She ain't half as pretty as you, doll."

Rosalie tightened her hand around Darran's wrist, which she was still holding from preventing his hitting out at Anna, and in an almost hiss she whispered to him, "I suggest you go back inside and leave me with my cousin for a moment."

"You don't tell me what to do girl!" he spat back, his face uncomfortable close to Rosalie's. "I own her!"

"It's true, Rosalie," Anna said through pouring tears, "He does."

Rosalie's eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment. He owned her. An underage girl. "You'll give me a moment with her, or you will regret it."

"Whatever," he spat, pulling himself free from Rosalie's hold, unaware that he only got free because she let him. "If she don't come back, it's you I'm coming for girl."

Rosalie listened to Anna's erratic breathing as the rat of a man swayed his way back to the club. After a silent moment, she turned to Anna, who was pressed hard against the wall.

"I know, I lied, "Anna managed to say through her sobs. "I'm so sorry."

Rosalie stood almost perfectly still, unsure what to say as she looked down at the young girl who was falling to pieces before her. If this was Renesmee, Rosalie would not have hesitated in tearing the man apart, witnesses or not, but she wasn't Nessie, she was a stranger.

_**A/N: Hey girls and guys. A little option for you now: we could follow Anna and Rosalie for a chapter, or maybe two, into the dark world of the nightclub, or, we could skip to the end and move swiftly on towards the finale of the story? Please let me know in a review what you would like to be the next chapter. Thanks muchly!**_


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